Podcasts about sacred liturgy

Fr. Clifton joins The Morning Blend to invite you to understand more deeply Sacred Liturgy. More information and registration can be found on their webpage.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Love to hear from you; “Send us a Text Message”What if the deepest mysteries of love, marriage, and human sexuality are actually encoded in an ancient biblical story most people have never fully explored? In this profound episode, we dive into St. John Paul II's examination of Tobias and Sarah's marriage from the Book of Tobit - a story where the marriage bed became either a place of death or redemption.At its core, this episode reveals how our current cultural battles over sexuality, gender, and family reflect a cosmic struggle between authentic love and counterfeit versions that ultimately lead to despair. Through the lens of Theology of the Body, we examine how bringing "the language of the body into the language of liturgy" transforms marriage from merely physical union into a sacred sign that makes visible God's invisible love.(The Video-Podcast of this Episode will be made available on Rumble. For past episodes on Video visit our Rumble Channel and don't forget to subscribe!)Follow us and watch on X: John Paul II Renewal @JP2RenewalOn Rumble: JohnPaulIIRCCatch up with the latest on our website: jp2renew.org and Sign up for our Newsletter!!  Contact Jack: info@jp2renew.orgRead Jack's Blog: https://jp2renew.org/Support the show

Dr. Tom Curran talks about the importance of gestures and customs, contrasting the presidential inauguration and the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass. Tom begins his Exodus 90 journey. Learn more about Exodus 90 or FIAT90.

In this segment from the Son Rise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. continues the series connecting Advent to the Eucharist and focuses on the connection between the Eucharist and Christ's Second Coming at the end of time."The Eucharist is also “A pledge of future glory.” A beautiful ejaculatory prayer, composed by the great St. Thomas Aquinas, and soon adopted by the Church, provides a catechetical summary of the Eucharist. It reads as follows: “O Sacred Banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of his passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.”  It would behoove us to commit this prayerful ejaculation to memory, as it wonderfully, and simply, sums up the most salient catechetical tenets concerning the Eucharistic doctrine.  We are, however, chiefly concerned here with the final thought contained in this prayer.  For, Christ pledges to “raise up on the last day” those who “eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood.”  The Sacred Liturgy is an earthly foretaste of the heavenly Banquet, the wedding feast of the Lamb, spoken of in the book of Revelation.  Thus, the coming of Christ in the Eucharist takes on an eschatological significance, as each Eucharistic celebration pre-figures the second coming of Christ—that eschatological reality for which the human heart ardently longs, as we pray with the Church: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!" - https://www.hprweb.com/2012/06/the-holy-eucharist-central-sacrament-pre-figured-in-the-first-passover/Christmas is the "most wonderful time of the year”: trees are trimmed, presents wrapped, and the chilly air signals the coming season of festive warmth. But did you know we're not really ready for Christmas without first observing a "little Lent?" Advent is one of the highlights of our liturgical year. Every year, at the end of the summer, I begin to yearn for colder days. Then autumn rolls around with the beautiful changing leaves, pumpkin pies, and the days seem to go by quicker and quicker (no thanks to Daylight Saving Time!). Then, just after Thanksgiving, we run right into Advent. Each year, it feels like we are sprinting to get to the holiday season and run right through Christmas and New Years. This year, though, I want to be more intentional about celebrating the joy of Advent and run an Advent Marathon, instead of my usual sprint.Notes:Learn more about Advent hereView Eucharistic Revival ResourcesRead Ad Infinitum blog posts on Advent Follow us:The Catholic Apostolate CenterThe Center's podcast websiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastsSpotify Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.

Read Online“Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19–20This is a bold and awe-inspiring promise from our Lord. This passage reveals Jesus' desire that we pray with others, uniting our prayer as one and offering it to the Father. Jesus says that when we do this in union with His prayer, our prayer will be answered.The first thing to note is that this passage could easily be misunderstood. For example, is Jesus telling us that if two or more people get together and pray that it rains, then it will happen? Certainly not. The key to understanding this passage is found in the last line: “...there am I in the midst of them.” This means that the goal of gathering together with two or more people in prayer is to unite our unified prayer to the prayer of Jesus. The Father always hears and answers the prayer of the Son. No matter what the Son asks the Father, it is granted. Thus, this passage tells us that the goal of gathering together in prayer with others, that is, with the Church, is to unite ourselves with the one and eternal prayer of God the Son. This is first and foremost fulfilled within the Sacred Liturgy. When we come together in the Liturgy, our prayer is always heard. Why? Because the Liturgy is first an action of God the Son in which He invites us, the Church, to share. And the prayer that is offered is the one and eternal prayer by which God the Son asks the Father to bring salvation to all those who accept the saving action of His sacrifice on the Cross. When we join in this prayer, it is granted.What type of prayer is not answered? First, God does not grant that which fails to serve His mission. Second, if we pray for God's will but fail to do our part, then our prayer cannot be answered. For example, if you pray that you overcome a particular sin but then fail to respond to the grace God gives, then this is not the fault of God. Third, praying for vengeance on those who have hurt us is ineffective. And fourth, praying for the conversion of one who refuses to repent will also be unable to be fulfilled, unless they ultimately repent. These are but a few examples.What type of prayer is effective? As already mentioned, the prayer of the Liturgy as the one Sacrifice of Christ is always heard when we participate in it. But there are other ways that our united prayer will be fulfilled with certainty. For example, if you gather with others and together pray for the grace of deeper conversion, you can be certain that the grace will be offered. It is then up to you to open your heart to that grace so that it is effective. Or if you pray that God offers His mercy to someone caught in sin, you can be certain that that grace will be offered, even if the person refuses to accept it. And the list could go on. Simply put, if we gather with others and seek to unite our prayer to the one and perfect prayer of God the Son as it is offered to the Father in Heaven, then that prayer of the Son in which we share will be answered. Perhaps the best way to pray together in this way is to pray the “Our Father” prayer with another. This prayer is always heard and answered by the Father since it is the prayer given to us by the Son. Reflect, today, upon God the Son praying to the Father. What is His perfect prayer? What does He ask the Father? Look for ways in which you can join with others to unite your own prayer to this prayer of the Son of God. Do this first and foremost in the Sacred Liturgy, but look for other ways in which you can practice this form of prayer. Praying together with others in union with the one prayer of Jesus will always be answered by the Father in Heaven.  My perfect Lord, all that You ask of the Father is granted to You. Please draw me and all the members of Your Church into Your perfect prayer to the Father. May we participate in this prayer especially through the Sacred Liturgy, and also as we gather as two or more. May we pray only with You and in accord with Your perfect will. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Three Camaldolese Monks in Ecstatic Prayer By Alessandro Magnasco, via Web Gallery of Art

This episode was recorded on February 29th, 2024. Mother Chiara Thérèse Jacobson has been an atrium catechist at Christ the King Catholic Montessori School in Mandan, ND since 2015, focusing on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children from birth to 12 years. She holds an AMI Montessori Assistants to Infancy diploma for birth to 3-year-olds, a bachelor's degree from North Dakota State University, a diploma in Spiritual Theology from the Teresianum in Rome, and a Master's in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. As a foundational member of the Servants of the Children of Light, established in the Diocese of Bismarck, ND in 2020, she combines Catholic Montessori education with a life of contemplative prayer. Fr. Nick Schneider, ordained in 2009, serves the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. He holds degrees in music performance, humanities, philosophy, and theology, and a Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm in Rome. Fr. Schneider also has an AMS Montessori diploma for 9-12-year-olds and is pursuing an AMI Elementary Diploma for 6-12-year-olds. His pastoral roles include Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Pastor of Christ the King Parish in Mandan, and currently, Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Crown Butte. Since 2018, he has guided students at Christ the King Catholic Montessori School and has directed the Office of Worship in the Bismarck Diocese since 2011. Fr. Schneider supports several religious communities as a chaplain and is actively involved with the Latin Mass community. He is a former board member of the Society of Catholic Liturgy and a presenter at their annual conference.   Find more: Servants of the Children of Light website: https://servantsofthechildrenoflight.org Christ the King School could be included: https://ctkmandan.com/our-school Masters in Catholic Montessori at the University of Mary: https://online.umary.edu/academics/masters-doctoral-programs/master-education-catholic-montessori   Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy.m.peterson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TammyPetersonPodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tammypetersonpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tammy1Peterson Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TammyPetersonPodcast

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6: 7-13 For more than thirty years Jenny O'Brien has been a liturgy educator for the Adelaide Archdiocese. She gained her Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from Sant'Anselmo, Rome and also holds Masters degrees in Theology and Religious Education. Jenny has been active on local, national and international levels, having served 9 years on the National Liturgical Council, 11 on the National Liturgical Music Council, and 6 years as a Council member of Societas Liturgica. She is a long-term member of the Australian Academy of Liturgy and was South Australian Chapter Convenor for a number of years. She was a foundational member of the Australian Pastoral Musicians Network and contributes regularly to their Conferences and Newsletters.  In her local parish of Brighton, SA, she coordinates the team of musicians and serves as both organist and cantor.

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder of Ignatius Press, questions and answers on the Sacred Liturgy from Vatican II, Part 3

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder of Ignatius Press, questions and answers on the Sacred Liturgy from Vatican II, Part 2

Today's Topics: 1) Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder of Ignatius Press, questions and answers on the Sacred Liturgy from Vatican II

Today's Topics: 1) Lawyer, Christopher Ferrara, Senior Counsel, Thomas More Society, examines loopholes in the Vatican II document: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) 2, 3, 4) Lift up your hearts: 10 tips for newcomers to the Latin Mass https://catholicgentleman.com/2016/06/lift-hearts-10-tips-newcomers-latin-mass/

In this episode of Author to Author, Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson interviews David Clayton on his book The Way of Beauty (May 6, 2024)In The Way of Beauty, David Clayton describes how a true Catholic education is both a program of liturgical catechesis and an inculturation that aims for the supernatural transformation of the person so that he can in turn transfigure the whole culture through the divine beauty of his daily action. There is no human activity, no matter how mundane, that cannot be enhanced by this formation in beauty. Such enhanced activity then resonates in harmony with the common good and, through its beauty, draws all people to the Church--and ultimately to the worship of God in the Sacred Liturgy.The Way of Beauty will be of profound interest not only to artists, architects, and composers, but also to educators, who can apply its principles in home and classroom for the formation and education of children and students of all ages and at all levels--family, homeschooling, high school, college, and university.The Way of Beauty: Liturgy, Education, and Inspiration for Family, School, and College: Clayton, David: 9781621381419: Amazon.com: BooksBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/author-to-author--4129285/support.

How does the experience of Mass on Sunday at a parish affect the lives of Catholics, and what role does music play in that experience? How does sacred music bridge the gap between people of different languages, ethnicities, and backgrounds? Why does the Church spend money on beautiful things instead of only on material goods for the poor? We tackle these questions and more in this interview with Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, bishop of Oakland, California.  To find out more about the music program at St. Patrick's Seminary and the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music, please visit http://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/. 

Under the theme “The Church on Fire in the Sacred Heart of Jesus” th2 2024 Sacred Liturgy Conference will take place June 4-7, 2024, in the charming town of Ferndale, CA. Pat talk with organizer and conference speaker, Dr. Lynne Bissonnette-Pitre.Details and registration can be found on the conference webpage.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

God's mercy endures for ever!This is the theme of today's Sacred Liturgy. It is not new. It is as old as the first revelation of salvation made to Adam, to Abel, to Abraham and down the generations until the coming of Divine Mercy incarnated in Jesus, Our Lord.Today is a day to continue to deeply rejoice that Divine Mercy is greater than any sin; even greater than the sin of the whole world. If you would like to contact me to provide feedback, suggestions or to ask questions you can do this via email:frpchandler@armidale.catholic.org.auAlso if you would like to support me in this work, please send me an email and I will provide details for how you can make a donation. After a very unsatisfactory experience with Buy Me A Coffee, I would prefer to handle this directly myself. Thank you.

What were the earliest language layers of the Roman rite, and how do we know? What is the relationship between liturgical language and everyday speech? When did the Roman rite switch from Greek to Latin? Find out the answers to these questions and more. Our guest is Fr. Nicholas Schneider, who holds a doctorate in sacred liturgy from the Atheneo St. Anselmo in Rome, and serves as an adjunct faculty member at the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music. He currently teaches as a Montessori guide for upper elementary students at Christ the King Catholic Montessori School in Mandan, ND. Learn more about the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music and its summer classes here: https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/summer-courses/

Introduction:The Catholic Church is about two thousand years old. Over those two millenia, different liturgical feasts have come and gone. There are two modern feast days in the Church today which are not well understood and which have an interesting history. That is what we will be looking at today! What is the Epiphany? And what is the Baptism of the Lord?What is the Epiphany?Epiphany comes to us from the Eastern Church where sources suggest that it is the same festival as Christmas (Christ's Nativity). Some in the Early Church celebrated Christmas on January 6, but most celebrated it on December 25. The celebration of the magi being led by a star was also in the mix. What is really interesting though is what Epiphany came to mean. As I mentioned, some celebrated the birth of Jesus and there are discrepancies about what it was called. Some sources call it the Theophany. That's a very interesting thing because St. Hippolytus writes about the eis ta hagia theophaneia (Greek: for the holy theophany) in reference to someone about to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Others still, on January 6, commemorate the miracle of Jesus changing the water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana. Others attributed the feast of the Theophany as marking the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. Still others marked it as a day to remember the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. Today, the East tends to focus on the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan on Epiphany and the West tends to concentrate on the mystery of the Magi. Another interesting link between the East and the West was the water blessed on this great feast. In the East (including Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism today), the service of Theophany includes the Great Blessing of Water. This inspired the blessing of Epiphany water in the West, which was adopted and included in the Roman Ritual in 1890. If you are interested in seeing the full text of this blessing, a parish of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest has a handy PDF. There is also a blessing of the home that can be done by lay people. It utilizes chalk that has been blessed by the priest at the parish and then taken home. If a priest can be present, this is preferred, but is not always logistically possible in a large parish. At any rate, each room of the house is blessed with holy water and then the exterior doorway is marked with the blessed chalk. The prayer is:“Blessed be this doorway. May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us as we welcome them with respect and kindness. May all our comings and goings be under the seal of God's loving care. May we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, Jesus, Who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.”Meanwhile, the door is inscribed with the chalk with the year and the letters C, M, and B, with crosses in between each part: 20 + C + M + B + 24The first and last numbers are the current year, marking the entire year for Christ. The letters have two meanings. First, the C, M, and B, stand for the traditional names of the magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. But it also stands for the Latin blessing: Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Latin: Christ, bless this house).These long held and beloved devotionals and sacramentals of the Epiphany chalk and water give us a sense of how ancient this celebration is. In so doing, our houses become sacramentals and we show our love for the Lord. Unlike the violent and despicable King Herod, we welcome the Christ child into our home with open arms. If you are really interested in the History of the feast and how it appears in various Missals and Sacramentaries, I would recommend the Catholic Encyclopedia article on New Advent entitled “Epiphany.”So, what is the Epiphany / Theophany? An epiphany, in terms of definition, is a sudden realization. The Greek phainein means to cause to appear or show. Theophany is the combination of the word epiphany with the Greek word theos meaning God. So, a theophany is a sudden realization, or a better word might be manifestation, of God in glory. Rather than attempting to figure out what exactly we ought to mark this Epiphany, I think it would be fruitful to walk through the various moments in the life of Christ that have historically been associated with the Epiphany, these various theophanies. Appearance of the MagiIn the Gospel of Matthew, we see the magi visiting the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. Magi comes from the Greek word mangos which was associated with a priestly caste from Persia. These wise men were well versed in reading the meaning of the stars (astrology) and interpreting dreams. Astrology was something which all of the ancients paid attention to and while the stars do not influence the course of things as the ancients thought, God can still use them to signal major events. The position of the stars and planets coincided with the natural movements of the Earth and the seasons; so, reading the stars was a wealth of information for those who knew what they were looking at. The Magi from the East were wealthy and possibly royal Gentiles and came to request an audience with King Herod. They had seen signs in the stars associated with Jupiter - the king of the planets - and came to meet this new king. Herod was taken aback by this news of a new king, as he had not recently fathered a baby son. The magi likely consulted with the scribes and chief priests and were pointed towards Behtlehem. In Micah 5:2, there is a clear indication that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. This is where the Theophany comes in. The magi come before the newborn king: Jesus. They present him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold because He is a king. Frankincense because He is the priestly mediator between God and man. And myrrh because He would suffer and die for the sins of man. The magi reveals the glory of the Messiah, the God-man, who came into the world to save the Jews and the Gentiles alike. The presence of the Gentile dignitaries kneeling before the Christ child makes it clear that God is manifesting Himself to all the nations and not just the Jews. And the presents, the gifts, of these wise men manifest the reality of the God-man as priest, prophet, and king. For more on the magi and what may have led them from the East, I warmly recommend the “Mysteries of the Magi” article on JimmyAkin.com. Miracle at the Wedding Feast of CanaOn to the next Theophany: the Miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana. Jesus reveals who He is and shows the power of God by working His first public miracle. The second Chapter of John's Gospel recounts:“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.' And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.'Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.' So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.' This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”There is so much to say here! One thing that St. Augustine points out is that the Son, when He was with the Father, instituted marriage. And, yet, here He is coming to a wedding. (cf. Catena Aurea) What a gift that is, in and of itself. One of the curious parts of this manifestation of God's glory is when Jesus answers His mother saying: “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” Of course, Jesus is never disrespectful to the Blessed Mother. The Church Fathers saw Jesus calling Mary “Woman” as a reference to her role as the New Eve, the Mother of all the living. The “hour” to which Jesus is referring is His death. He knew that He still had yet to call the disciples, proclaim the Kingdom, do miracles, declare His divinity in word and deed, and then show the humility of God in undergoing the daily sufferings of humanity. In obedience to His mother, He nonetheless worked His first public miracle, thus beginning the time of His hour. But as St. Augustine points out, our Lord claims the reality later in John's Gospel that He has the power to lay His life down and the power to take it up again. (cf. Jn 10:18) So, it is not that His manifestation of divine power will start some sort of fated countdown - rather it was that He did not think it was expedient to show His power in this way.As St. John Chrysostom points out: “Although He had said, Mine hour is not yet come, He afterwards did what His mother told Him, in order to shew plainly, that He was not under subjection to the hour.” (Catena Aurea) Yet, He also showed honor to His mother in performing the miracle. At any rate, this miracle was not a mere manipulation. It was not a magic trick or an illusion. Instead, as Alcuin of York put it: “He was the King of glory, and changed the elements because He was their Lord.” (ibid.)There is much more that is revealed in this miracle. But this will suffice for now. Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the Son of God. And in His first public miracle, we see a true Theophany. What should our response be? None other than what our Blessed Mother says: “Do whatever He tells you.”Baptism of Jesus in the JordanThe next Theophany is the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. To prepare for the kingdom of Heaven, St. John the Baptist called people to repentance, to turn away from their sins. He did this by baptizing people in the Jordan River. This baptism was purely symbolic and not to be confused with the Sacrament of Baptism. People came from all Judea and all the region around the Jordan river to hear John preach. Even the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes came out to hear John preach, confess their sins, and be baptized. John's was a voice crying in the desert to prepare the way of the Lord. Of course, Jesus had no need of being baptized. He was sinless and is God. So, what is happening here? The Catechism does a beautiful job of explaining:“The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.' Already he is anticipating the ‘baptism' of his bloody death. Already he is coming to ‘fulfill all righteousness, ‘that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father's will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father's voice responds to the Son's acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to ‘rest on him.' Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism ‘the heavens were opened' - the heavens that Adam's sin had closed - and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.” (CCC 536)Pope Benedict XVI, in his book Jesus of Nazareth, points out the symbolism as well of Jesus entering into the waters of the Jordan River as He would one day enter into death and the tomb. And His rising from the water was like His Resurrection to come. We still hold to this theological reality in our own Sacrament of Baptism: we die with Christ and we rise with Christ a new creation. Jesus' public life begins when He is baptized by John in the Jordan River. We say that this is a Theophany because Jesus is revealed to be the Lamb of God by John: the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God. But more than that, when the baptism happens, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and the voice of the Father from Heaven proclaims: “This is my beloved Son.” Here, then, we have a full Theophany of all three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Transfiguration of the LordThe final Theophany we will quickly review is the Transfiguration of the Lord. In St. Mark's Gospel, we hear:“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.' For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him.' And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?' And he said to them, ‘Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.'” (Mk 9:2–13)He revealed Himself first in a stable in Bethlehem, in lowly stature. God Almighty condescended to share in our humanity, the model of perfect humility. He revealed Himself at a wedding party, who is Himself the Bridegroom of the Church. He revealed Himself in the waters of the Jordan; He sanctified the waters of the world - a clearly meaningful gesture considering how important water is to us as humans. Now, He reveals His glory on a lofty mountaintop. He did not transfigure His features because the Apostles still recognized Him but an ineffable brightness was added. He brings with Him two people: Moses and Elijah. Moses is the representative of the whole Law and Elijah represents all the Prophets. Jesus is the embodiment of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. As in each Theophany, the mission of Jesus is revealed. He is the Incarnate Word who came to redeem our fallen humanity. His “hour” begins with His first public miracle - the hour of His passion, death, and resurrection. The Baptism in the Jordan River reveals His public ministry and that He is the Messiah. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, too, that: “The mystery of the Transfiguration must not be separated from the context of the path Jesus is following. He is now decisively oriented to fulfilling his mission, knowing all too well that to arrive at the Resurrection he must pass through the Passion and death on the Cross. He had spoken openly of this to his disciples; but they did not understand, on the contrary they rejected this prospect because they were not reasoning in accordance with God, but in accordance with men (cf. Mt 16:23).” (Benedict XVI, Angelus, March 4, 2012)The “folly of the Cross” is coming and Jesus wants to prepare Peter, James, and John to make their way the forested thickness of the passion and death. The light showing forth from Jesus on the mountain was not added from without; as God, He had the divine light within Him already. He was further revealing Himself to His closest friends. Besides the light, we also hear the voice of the Father echo the words from the Jordan River: “This is my beloved Son.” But He adds: “Listen to Him.” What in the World is a Theophany?So, what is a Theophany? It is a sudden manifestation of God in His glory, power, humility, truth, and grace. God reveals Himself and the mission of the Son to us throughout the Gospels. We must seek to place ourselves in these moments. In the Sacred Liturgy, in particular, we can do this by God's grace. In the Mass, we step outside of space and time and the mundane in a mystical way. We enter into a foretaste of heavenly glory, but Jesus as our High Priest also makes present these past moments of majestic revelation afresh in the Holy Mass. At the Epiphany, we are celebrating the arrival of the magi to adore the Christ child, and standing astounded with the chief steward of the feast at the wedding in Cana, and standing by the waters of the Jordan River seeing the Holy Spirit descend and the voice of the Father resound, and standing dazzled by the transfiguration of the Lord. It can be overwhelming to hold so many things in our mind at once. But thankfully, Holy Mother Church has given space to do so over the years. In the Latin Rite, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6 or the closest Sunday in the United States - in 2024, for example, it is on Sunday, January 7. In 1955, Pope Pius XII separated out Baptism of the Lord as a distinct feast. This was celebrated on January 13 for some time but is now kept as the first Sunday after Epiphany or, if Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday in a particular country, then Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Monday after. The Wedding Feast at Cana comes up in the Gospel readings on January 7 for daily Mass and on the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year C. And the Transfiguration is celebrated on August 6, which allows us to remember the link to the other three theophanies half a year later. Please Consider DonatingIf you enjoy these episodes, if you've gotten anything out of Good Distinctions, if you enjoy the written articles that I put out and want to continue to see this channel grow, I need your help. It costs quite a bit of money to put this on. There's a lot of different software and equipment that it takes to make it happen well and properly. Please consider prayerfully donating. You can do so for as little as $5 a month or $50 for a yearly membership.Special thanks to the following monthly and yearly subscribers of Good Distinctions!* Carson S.* Jo-Anne J. * Ann G.If you'd like to support Good Distinctions and help it grow, please click the link below!Good Distinctions is a listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

This week, tune in as Julia and Fr. Sean discuss the Sacred Liturgy! They cover paragraphs 1135–1144 in the Catechism. Enjoy this episode and visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://petersburgparishes.org/podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠ to tune in to previous episodes across various podcast platforms!

IntroductionWelcome back to Good Distinctions! Before we begin, I want to invite you to consider contributing financially to Good Distinctions. Good distinctions are the spice of life, and Teresa and I are enjoying producing content, finding good distinctions, igniting conversation, and inviting you all to do likewise! In order to continue, we need your help. Consider becoming a paid subscriber and show your support for as little as $5/month by clicking subscribe at gooddistinctions.comIn today's episode, we will take a quick walk through the Nicene Creed to examine what Catholics believe! Of course, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does a much better job than I will do here. And there are books that provide an even deeper dive. My goal here is to provide a 30,000 foot view of the Nicene Creed, the Symbol of Faith. The Creed has been referred to from ancient times as a Symbolon. The Greek word Symbolon means to “throw together” - the Creeds, as Symbols of Faith - draw the followers of Christ together in like belief. Scott Hahn, in his book on the Creed, refers to the recitation of the Nicene Creed at Holy Mass during the Liturgy of the Word as analogous to receiving Holy Communion during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In our public recitation of belief, we identify ourselves boldly as Christians in union with those around us and all those who have come before. The Niceno-Constantinopolitan CreedThe Nicene Creed, technically called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, is professed every Sunday at Mass in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church and in our separated Orthodox brethren, this same Creed is professed in its original formulation.The only difference between the Creed of the East and West is the later addition of the phrase “and the Son” to the paragraph on the procession of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, this disagreement has caused great difficulty and division between Eastern and Western Christianity.The Nicene Creed arose from the first two ecumenical councils of the Church. The first ecumenical council is the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and the second is the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. This Creed is ancient and it has preserved the faithful from a variety of heresies for over 1,600 years. To understand it is to understand what we believe as Catholics.Walking through the CreedLet's take a quick walk through the Creed and try to understand it a bit more in depth. Of course, each word in the phrase is packed with meaning and endless depth. Truly, the reality of our Faith is that we are diving into the mysteries of an infinite God. So, there is always more to learn.Paragraph 1 – God the FatherI believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.We believe in one God in three Persons. We do not believe in three gods. Our one God is not only our king and Lord, He is our Heavenly Father. We are His adopted son or daughter through Baptism. He created everything that we can see, but He also created all the things that we cannot see. For example, we believe in the angels, in our own souls, and in demons. God is Lord over all of it and has all might. Even though He is tremendously powerful, our God and Father draws us into a relationship with Him and invites us to share eternal blessedness in another invisible reality: Heaven.Paragraph 2 – The Lord JesusI believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the Word of God, the Son of God. This Word of God, Jesus Christ, proceeds from the Father. He was “born” and “begotten” but not made. This is a mystery that is very difficult to understand. Much ink has been spilled in theology on how Jesus can be both God and man. In other words, Jesus is fully God and He is eternal, just as the Father is eternal. This paragraph emphasizes that there is one God but the Father is nonetheless distinct as a Person from the Person of the Son. Though distinct Persons, these Persons share in the one metaphysical “substance” of the Godhead. This is what the word “consubstantial” means - the Son being of one substance with the Father. In others, the Person of the Son and the Person of the Father share in the one, same Divine Nature. The Council Fathers went to great lengths to combat the Arian heresy which claimed that Jesus was created and was not truly God. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man. As the Word of God, He has existed forever and will always exist. He proceeds from the Father as God from God and Light from Light, true God from true God. I will go into more detail on this in the fifth paragraph on the Holy Spirit.There is also the realization that it is through the Word of God that all things were made. God reveals to us in Genesis God speaks in order to create. He says, “Let there be light.” And there was light. Jesus Christ, the Word of God, was sent on a mission by the Father to come down from heaven in order to redeem humanity and offer us salvation.Paragraph 3 – The Incarnation and The Virgin Maryand by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.By the free choice of Mary, our Mother, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God took on flesh. Jesus Christ, the uncreated Word through which all things were made, condescended to share in our humanity. The almighty God emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave, to use the language of St. Paul.In the Latin Rite, there is a tradition of bowing during this paragraph in honor of the Incarnation. During the Liturgies for Christmas and the Feast of the Annunciation, we kneel down during this phrase when we recite the Creed. In the Roman Missal of 1962 and before, this practice of kneeling happens at every single Mass during the Last Gospel when the phrase “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” from John chapter 1 is uttered. If you have attended the Latin Mass, then you will be familiar with hearing the words “et Verbum caro factum est” and genuflecting.  The Incarnation is literally the “enfleshment” of Jesus; it is what we celebrate at Christmas. This paragraph marks one of the most important moments in human history. Our God became one of us.Paragraph 4 – The Paschal MysteryFor our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven  and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.This paragraph is directly connected to the previous. Jesus became man in order to accomplish the work of our salvation. It was for each of us that Jesus was crucified. The Council Fathers include “under Pontius Pilate” to show that this was an historical reality. It really happened. So too, Jesus truly rose from the dead on the third day after being buried.Forty days after rising from the dead, He lifted Himself up into Heaven in a mysterious fashion and He now reigns in Heaven as King at the right hand of the Father. We believe that He will come again in glory. This is what we call the Second Coming. At the second coming of Christ, we will all be judged; everything we have done will be laid bare and true justice will be accomplished. This second coming will result in the passing away of the old Heaven and the old Earth and the establishing of Jesus' everlasting kingdom.Paragraph 5 – The Holy SpiritI believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.We believe in one God in three Persons. The third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who we also rightly call Lord and the giver of life. God breathed life into the first man, after all. This holy breath of God is the Spirit which gives life and sustains life. He is glorified and loved as God, along with the Father and the Son. We believe that the Holy Spirit, before the Incarnation as well as after, inspired the prophets.The Trinity is the mystery of God, as He is. It is difficult to wrap our minds around this mystery in any meaningful way. Our metaphors are usually material, like a three-leaf clover or the states of water as ice, liquid, or vapor, and because they are material, they always fall short. God is spiritual, not material. The best explanation I have heard of the Blessed Trinity is from St. Augustine's Analogy of the Mind. I will try my best to offer a simplified version. Though, it is far from simple. And remember, this is an analogy. In our own minds, we have intellect and will. We know things and act freely. When we learn or know things, we have a procession of the intellect. When we act freely upon ourselves or the world, we have a procession of the will. If we analogously apply this understanding to the “mind of God,” we see a procession of the intellect and a procession of the will. God is perfect and so these processions must be infinite and perfect. The procession of the intellect, within the mind of God, is God the Father's perfect knowledge of Himself. This perfect image of Himself is the Son. The Son, in return, perfectly loves the Father. God is love. Therefore, the procession of His will is perfect love which proceeds as the love shared between the Father and the Son. This is the Holy Spirit. However, we must understand that He does not proceed in time, as He is as eternal as the Father and the Son. Paragraph 6 – The ChurchI believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.The Church of Jesus Christ is His Mystical Body. Before being an institution of human beings, the Church is divinely constituted. In other words, the Church was begun by the action of the Holy Trinity, is sustained by the Holy Trinity, and is ordered towards the Holy Trinity. Therefore the Church is holy, even if the human beings who compromise it are not always holy. The Church is one because Christ is one. She is also one in her teaching, preaching, governance, and means of sanctification. The Church is catholic because the Church is “universal.” Catholic means universal - the Greek is kata holon which means “according to the whole.” And the Church is apostolic because Christ founded it upon the Apostles and apostolic teaching and continued in governance and preaching by their successors. We enter into this Church through the one Baptism of Christ, by which we are cleansed of original sin, are grafted into Christ, and become adopted sons and daughters of God.We believe that when Christ comes again, we will be reunited with our bodies in a glorified way, similar to Christ's resurrected Body. We do not know exactly what this will look like. And we look forward to the life of the world to come which is eternal blessedness in the company of the angels and the saints in constant praise and love of God. We will want for nothing and all suffering will be no more.Paragraph 7 - AmenAmen.And finally… amen! Amen means “yes,” “so be it,” and “I believe.” It is the only ending to the Creed that we can offer as human beings. God has revealed all He is and all that He has done for us, and our confident and faithful “Amen” is the response of our heart. We should also keep in mind that the Creed does not exist apart from the Sacred Liturgy. The entire Liturgy of the Word, and especially the Creed, is preparing us for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In the Second Century, St. Justin Martyr writes in his Apologia that after the prayers of thanksgiving and consecration were finished by the priest, all responded by saying “Amen.” This is not simply a word found at the end of a conversation. It is not like saying, “Ok. Goodbye, God,” after a prayer is finished. St. Paul writes, “Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?” So, it would seem that the word Amen packs a punch. But what does it mean?Amen is a Hebrew word which means “so be it.” St. Augustine translated it as “it is true (Latin: verum est).” In  a tract explaining the Mass from the Middle Ages, we read, “Amen is a ratification by the people of what has been spoken, and it may be interpreted in our language as if they all said: May it so be done as the priest has prayed (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907).”It is custom in most of the Rites of the Catholic Church, both East and West, to say “Amen” after receiving Holy Communion. In the Missale Romanum of 1962, the priest says, “Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam, Amen (May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen).” So, even though the communicant does not say “Amen” like in the Missale Romanum of 1970, the priest has said “Amen” for them. The language of “Amen” seems to be like a contract. When two people enter into an agreement with one another, they may mark it with a handshake and say, “so be it” or “I agree.” Is that what is happening at Mass? Certainly, what we are entering into at Mass is far more important, meaningful, lasting, and beautiful. Perhaps more than a contract, the “Amen” shows us that the language of the Mass is that of a covenant. A contract can be broken. A covenant cannot be broken.When we approach our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we are approaching the Bridegroom as the Bride. We are uttering our wedding vows to the King of Heaven each time we receive Holy Communion. We are saying, “I do” when we say “Amen.” The meaning of the word is very close to this understanding. We are using the language of marriage to show that we are accepting the Bridegroom into our body and soul to remain with us always. As husband and wife become one flesh in marriage, the communicant and our Lord become one in the Eucharist. “Communion” means “one with.” We are becoming more closely joined to the Lord in reception of Holy Communion. Every time we say “Amen” we should clearly state what we are doing. We are giving our assent of Faith. We are not saying “Okay” or “Sure”, we are saying “so be it.” Do we know what we are saying “yes” to? Do we know what we are entering into? Our “yes” to God cannot be half-hearted or wishy-washy. It must be sure and resolute, by His grace. Our Lord Jesus is a strong proponent of authenticity and resolution. We hear in the Book of Revelation: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Rev. 3:16).” And in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'; anything more than this comes from evil (Mt. 5:37).” Let our Amen mean Amen. ConclusionI hope this brief reflection has been a help to you. Ideally, we will all continue to grow in our knowledge, love, and service of the Lord until the glorious day when we will see Him face to face in Paradise, God willing. Having the right belief on matters of doctrine is not a matter of triumphalism that we should lord over others. In humility and gratitude, we should accept this ancient formulation and symbolon and allow Jesus to enter us ever more fully into the heart and mind of the Church. If you have enjoyed this episode and feel that it has been a help to you, please share it on your own personal social media. And more importantly than that, please consider sharing Good Distinctions with 2-3 people at church or at work in person this week. The sort of topics that we are dealing with are universally applicable and should be of benefit to anyone and everyone. Also, if you are listening to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please follow the show and leave a rating and review, that tells the algorithm that more people should listen to Good Distinctions. On YouTube, the best thing you can do is subscribe to the channel, like the episode, and leave a comment. If you are listening natively on Substack and you use Notes, please consider restacking this episode, liking it, or sharing it on your social media. Just a note on Substack - if you have not subscribed at gooddistinctions.com, please consider doing so. Besides the weekly video and audio episodes, we will be releasing quite a bit more written content (short Scripture reflections, commentaries on current events, or little reflections on various topics). You won't want to miss out on that. And as I said at the top of the show, if you believe in what Teresa and I are doing here at Good Distinctions, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for as little as $5/month to support our mission. We believe that good distinctions are the spice of life, of course. But our mission is this: to seek out the best distinctions, to reignite good conversations, and inspire others to do the same. Thanks for listening, reading, and watching. Good Distinctions are the Spice of Life! To end today, please join me in praying through the Nicene Creed. The Nicene CreedI believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

“Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19–20This is a bold and awe-inspiring promise from our Lord. This passage reveals Jesus' desire that we pray with others, uniting our prayer as one and offering it to the Father. Jesus says that when we do this in union with His prayer, our prayer will be answered. The first thing to note is that this passage could easily be misunderstood. For example, is Jesus telling us that if two or more people get together and pray that it rains, then it will happen? Certainly not. The key to understanding this passage is found in the last line: “...there am I in the midst of them.” This means that the goal of gathering together with two or more people in prayer is to unite our unified prayer to the prayer of Jesus. The Father always hears and answers the prayer of the Son. No matter what the Son asks the Father, it is granted. Thus, this passage tells us that the goal of gathering together in prayer with others, that is, with the Church, is to unite ourselves with the one and eternal prayer of God the Son. This is first and foremost fulfilled within the Sacred Liturgy.When we come together in the Liturgy, our prayer is always heard. Why? Because the Liturgy is first an action of God the Son in which He invites us, the Church, to share. And the prayer that is offered is the one and eternal prayer by which God the Son asks the Father to bring salvation to all those who accept the saving action of His sacrifice on the Cross. When we join in this prayer, it is granted.What type of prayer is not answered? First, God does not grant that which fails to serve His mission. Second, if we pray for God's will but fail to do our part, then our prayer cannot be answered. For example, if you pray that you overcome a particular sin but then fail to respond to the grace God gives, then this is not the fault of God. Third, praying for vengeance on those who have hurt us is ineffective. And fourth, praying for the conversion of one who refuses to repent will also be unable to be fulfilled, unless they ultimately repent. These are but a few examples.What type of prayer is effective? As already mentioned, the prayer of the Liturgy as the one Sacrifice of Christ is always heard when we participate in it. But there are other ways that our united prayer will be fulfilled with certainty. For example, if you gather with others and together pray for the grace of deeper conversion, you can be certain that the grace will be offered. It is then up to you to open your heart to that grace so that it is effective. Or if you pray that God offers His mercy to someone caught in sin, you can be certain that that grace will be offered, even if the person refuses to accept it. And the list could go on. Simply put, if we gather with others and seek to unite our prayer to the one and perfect prayer of God the Son as it is offered to the Father in Heaven, then that prayer of the Son in which we share will be answered. Perhaps the best way to pray together in this way is to pray the “Our Father” prayer with another. This prayer is always heard and answered by the Father since it is the prayer given to us by the Son. Reflect, today, upon God the Son praying to the Father. What is His perfect prayer? What does He ask the Father? Look for ways in which you can join with others to unite your own prayer to this prayer of the Son of God. Do this first and foremost in the Sacred Liturgy, but look for other ways in which you can practice this form of prayer. Praying together with others in union with the one prayer of Jesus will always be answered by the Father in Heaven. My perfect Lord, all that You ask of the Father is granted to You. Please draw me and all the members of Your Church into Your perfect prayer to the Father. May we participate in this prayer especially through the Sacred Liturgy, and also as we gather as two or more. May we pray only with You and in accord with Your perfect will. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

This week, Fr. Sean and Julia discuss the Sacred Liturgy! Tune in as they cover paragraphs 1145–1162 in the Catechism. Enjoy this episode and visit ⁠⁠https://petersburgparishes.org/podcast/⁠⁠ to tune in to previous episodes across various podcast platforms!

NOTE: This article from May 2023 was fairly popular, so I decided to record it for YouTube and for the Podcast streams. Enjoy, and please comment, like, and share!IntroductionThis is not an article refuting various theological points of the Society of St. Pius X. It is not an extensive refutation of the pernicious errors of sedevacantism. What it aims to be is a reiteration of what the Church Herself is, who we are in relationship to Her, and a warning to avoid the grave sin of schism.The Church of Jesus Christ is the Catholic Church. This Church is visible and clearly manifest. Jesus is not trying to trick us. God, our Father, desires our salvation. The Holy Spirit guides and guards the Church. Our Blessed Mother never ceases to intercede for us. No matter how bleak things seem, staying in the Barque of Peter is always the best option. What is the Church of Jesus Christ?During the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the Council Fathers took up the task of writing a Dogmatic Constitution (the highest magisterial level of a Church document) on the Church Herself. The Mystery of the Church is expounded in this constitution: Lumen Gentium. Promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI in November 1964, the Council Fathers provided a clear and beautiful description of Holy Mother Church.Found in paragraph 8 of Lumen Gentium, in particular, is a nuanced and gorgeous explication of the Church. Passages such as these must be read in continuity with everything that came before this moment in the Church or we run the risk of reading it outside of the heart and mind of the Church. One word, especially, provides difficulty for some readers of Lumen Gentium: “subsists.” However, I hope to show, in short order, that this word is inspired. The paragraph begins: “Christ, the one Mediator, established and continually sustains here on earth His holy Church, the community of faith, hope and charity, as an entity with visible delineation through which He communicated truth and grace to all. But, the society structured with hierarchical organs and the Mystical Body of Christ, are not to be considered as two realities, nor are the visible assembly and the spiritual community, nor the earthly Church and the Church enriched with heavenly things; rather they form one complex reality which coalesces from a divine and a human element. For this reason, by no weak analogy, it is compared to the mystery of the incarnate Word. As the assumed nature inseparably united to Him, serves the divine Word as a living organ of salvation, so, in a similar way, does the visible social structure of the Church serve the Spirit of Christ, who vivifies it, in the building up of the body (LG, 8; emphasis added).”Let us pause here for a moment. To summarize: Christ is the one Mediator between God and man and the Church which He established and continually sustains is His Church. In a strongly analogous sense, the Church is both human and divine because there is a visible structure but an internal cohesion as well. The passage continues:This is the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Saviour, after His Resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd, and him and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority, which He erected for all ages as ‘the pillar and mainstay of the truth.' This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity.”If we understand that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, founded a Church two thousand years ago, then we can acclaim rightly that this Church is divinely constituted. As the Church has always affirmed, the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. This Church is visible. As Lumen Gentium, this Church IS the one Church of Christ professed in the Creed. So, why do folks have a problem with the phrase “subsists in?” Generally, it is due to a suspicion of the Second Vatican Council that sees the modernist boogeyman in every page of the documents of this Council. The Latin phrase used “subsistit in” is actually quite ancient, the meaning going back at least to the terminology of Aristotle. It means to exist as a substance. In other words, the Church was founded by Christ and has been sustained by Him as one, true, substantive thing. This one Church is the Catholic Church. So, why not just say is (est in Latin)? Well, not to belabor the point, but they did! The first part of the paragraph containing “subsistit in” begins: “Haec est unica Christi Ecclesia (this is the one Church of Christ).” The Council Fathers are not disputing the understanding of the Catholic Church as the Church of Jesus Christ.The Church of Jesus Christ can be encountered as a concrete subject only in the Catholic Church. The “elements of sanctification and of truth” outside the visible structure of the Church are the reality that God is present and operative in the Sacraments, such as Baptism and Matrimony, in Protestant communities and present and operative in all seven Sacraments in the Orthodox Churches. Nonetheless, the Church subsists only in the Catholic Church. These elements of sanctification are not substantial and concrete instantiations of the Church of Jesus Christ apart from the Catholic Church, rather they are an admittance that moves as He wills and is drawing all people to Himself in the Catholic Church. This is true ecumenism: being willing instruments in helping the Holy Spirit guide all persons to the truth and fullness of the Catholic Church, which is visible and concrete. To take another approach, we could say that when God effects a Sacrament or moves in grace and power outside the visible bounds of the Catholic Church, it is nonetheless a fact that “the one Church of Christ has an operative presence in them (Ut Unum Sint, 8),” as St. John Paul II wrote. So, if someone is saved by sacramental grace, it is still only by the grace flowing from the one true Church of Jesus Christ which is the Catholic Church, our sacrament of salvation on Earth. How Can We Identify the Catholic Church?The Catholic Church has always been visible, though admittedly clandestine in certain circumstances. We can think here of the difficult situation in China today or of the Church in Communist nations in the 20th Century. Or we can look at England under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Or under Roman persecutions or Muslim occupations. Nonetheless, the Church was founded by Christ and continues to be sustained by Him and guided and guarded by the Holy Spirit. The four marks of the Church are present in fullness in the Catholic Church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The Church is one because Christ is one. In the inner life of the Trinity, there is no disunity. Likewise, the Church cannot have disunity, as it is the Mystical Body of Christ. The Church is holy because Christ is holy, though it is composed of sinners. The Church is catholic because it is universal (Greek: katholou - “according to the whole”). God desires the salvation of all and our Blessed Lord commissioned the Apostles to preach the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. This apostolicity finds fruition not only being built upon the successors of the Apostles, but it is also firmly set on apostolic teaching. As a result, the Church has a true unity of governance, preaching, teaching, and means of sanctification.The Catholic Church has a visible hierarchical structure. The successors of the Apostles are the bishops of the Catholic Church - this is historically provable. However, apostolic does not only mean the successors of the Apostles exist. If that were the case, then the Orthodox Churches would rightly be considered apostolic. However, apostolicity also requires the recognition that Jesus designated Peter as the Prince of the Apostles. The Papacy is the succession of this Petrine office. The teaching authority of Christ passed on to the Apostles, the Magisterium, is thus the successor of Peter in union with all the successors of the Apostles. In other words, it is the Pope in union with all the bishops of the world. The Church of Jesus Christ will thus be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. It will have a visible hierarchy of the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and lay people. Just as a body, the Church will have a metabolism, an internal means of sustenance, as well. This is clearly the Holy Eucharist: the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ hidden under the veil of a sacrament. There will be actual church buildings. There will be assemblies of the faithful. The visible Catholic Church will be manifest and clear to all who seek Her out, because Jesus is not trying to trick us. Good Distinctions is free to read and listen, but if you have appreciated the channel, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for as little as $5/month. It would greatly help us continue to produce content - Podcasts and YouTube software and equipment aren't cheap! Thank you for your consideration and prayers!What is Radical Traditionalism?Finally, with a working understanding of what is meant by the Church of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, we can turn our attention to “radical traditionalism.” Granted, this is a term which means as many different things as “conservative” and “liberal” do in American politics. My usage of the term is pragmatic, more than descriptive. A Catholic ought to be traditional, in the fullest sense of the term. A Catholic also ought to be radical, in the sense that radical comes from the Latin radix meaning “root.” We are rooted in Jesus Christ, and apart from Him we can do nothing.The Southern Poverty Law Center associates Radical Traditionalism with white supremacy, anti-immigrant attitudes, and anti-Semitism. Though there is some correlation in reality between radical traditionalist communities and these ideologies, there is no causation. In general Catholic circles, the main characteristic of radical traditionalism is not only a preference for the Latin Mass according to the Missale Romanum of 1962, but a tacit (if not explicit) rejection of the Roman Missal of 1970 (called the “Novus Ordo”). Further, “radical traditionalists” reject the Second Vatican Council, usually in its entirety. They see it as heretical nonsense, unfaithful, and a divergence from the true Faith. The term “radical traditionalist” is often wrongly associated with thrown around against those who attend the Holy Mass with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP), and other communities in full and complete union with Rome. This needs to stop. These communities are obedient to the Holy Father and their local ordinary. They do not reject Vatican II or the Novus Ordo. They have a deep love and reverence for the Vetus Ordo (the Old Order of Mass and the Sacraments) and have permission to celebrate the Sacred Liturgy according to that charism. Simply having a preference for the Latin Mass does not make someone a “radical traditionalist.” Radical Traditionalism is a rejection of Catholicism, underneath the veneer of a heroic savior-complex of safeguarding Tradition against the Modernists. Now, I want to be clear: Modernism is a serious problem in the Church and the world today. Pope St. Pius X referred to Modernism as the synthesis of all heresies. Ultimately, it is a denial of the supernatural and of mediation. This liberalizing tendency should be fought tooth and nail, without doubt! But what we cannot do is reject the Second Vatican Council, deny the legitimacy of the Novus Ordo, or choose to be disobedient to the competent authority. What is Sedevacantism?One of the loudest voices within radical traditionalism (at least on Twitter) is sedevacantism. Sede means “seat” in Latin and vacante means “empty.” Sedevacantists believe that due to formal heresy, the sitting pope lost the papacy. Usually, these groups will maintain that Pope Pius XII was the last valid pope, others will make arguments for Pope John XXIII and I have even heard one argument for Pope Paul VI (though this one makes the least sense). Mario Derksen of “Novus Ordo Watch” in his talk “Eclipse of the Church: The Case for Sedevacantism” on October 8, 2021 lays out his arguments. I do not intend to litigate them here, but I will share part of the conclusion of his talk: “If Francis and his five predecessors of unhappy memory were true Popes, then the forces of darkness would indeed have prevailed. Then the ‘most deadly foes of the Catholic religion,' as Pope Pius IX called them, would have triumphed, then the ‘proud gates of hell' would have succeeded in overthrowing the Chair of Truth and turning it into a fount of blasphemy and heresy. Then what had been the ‘citadel and bulwark of the Catholic faith' would have become the bulldozer of Catholicism.”So, for the sedevacantist, none of the Popes since Pope Pius XII have been true Popes. For those who are curious, that would be since 1958. For the last 65 years, the Members of the Body of Christ have been misled en masse, according to this view. Further, with virtually all of the cardinals, bishops, and priests complicit in this great apostasy, how are we to restore the Church to its former glory? Again, I do not intend to debate sedevacantism here because, frankly, I think the position is so intuitively absurd that it would be a waste of time to do so. If Mario Derksen is being honest about his own conclusions, he would likely agree. In the paragraph directly before what I have already quoted, he says:“Yes, we are happy to call it ‘Sedevacantism,' but it really isn't an ‘-ism' other than Catholicism during these perplexing times. It is a theological position that ‘creates itself', as it were, after we've ruled out the things we know to be impossible in light of the timeless truths of the Catholic Faith. Sedevacantism is what is left once we have rejected what is clearly false.”In other words, in the face of the entire Mystical Body of Christ on Earth, including five legitimately elected Popes, the sedevacantist chooses to trust his or her feelings rather than trusting that the Holy Spirit guides and guards the Church. I cannot think of anything more modernist than that.However, I will be honest. I am sympathetic to the sedevacantist view. We do live in troubling times. The Popes of recent memory, even the amazing St. John Paul II and the incredible Pope Benedict XVI, have made some strange choices and prudential decisions. Further, many bishops and priests have said and done horrifically scandalous things without any sense of justice of discipline meted out by the Church. But this is not an excuse to abandon reason and play the hero who is “preserving” the Church precisely by leaving it. Because, make no mistake, sedevacantism is formal schism. Though there are many independent sedevacantist churches, the most prominent are the Roman Catholic Institute (RCI), Most Holy Family Monastery (MHFM), Society of St. Pius V (SSPV), St. Gertrude the Great Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI). If you want a more substantive refutation of Sedevacantism, I would recommend this fantastic resource from Noah Perez at Catholicism Coffee entitled “3 New Arguments Against Sedevacantism.”What is the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX)? In this article I want to outline some of the dangers of radical traditionalism. This article would get far too broad if I began refuting various points or getting into the nitty gritty. Those resources exist. My goal, again, is only to show some of the spiritual dangers posed by sedevacantist and non-sedevacantist radical traditionalists. The largest group of “radical traditionalist Catholicism” is the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). Officially, the SSPX is not sedevacantist. They acknowledge the legitimacy of the Roman Pontiff and his predecessors. However, they reject the Second Vatican Council because they believe it contains theological errors and heresy. They reject large parts of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Over half of priests and most of the original and current leadership of SSPX reject the New Mass as containing elements dangerous for the Faith. Since the days of Archbishop Marcel Lefevbre, they have conducted illicit ordinations of bishops and priests and consecrations. The Society has even discouraged its followers from attending the Latin Mass offered by priests in full and manifest union with Rome because of the belief that these ordinations are deficient because they were conducted by a revised rite.  The website of the Society of Saint Pius X claims that “no canonical censures against the SSPX have ever existed (SSPX).” They also claim that the “persecution” of the SSPX is political in nature and that any notions of excommunication and schism are “false accusations.” To the contrary, Pope St. John Paul II through the Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops publicly decreed on July 1, 1988 that Archbishop Marcel Lefevbre and the four new bishops he consecrated illicitly had incurred the penalty of excommunication. The legitimacy of these excommunications was further clarified and reiterated by the Vatican in 1996 and 1998. More recently, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have made great strides in attempting to normalize the canonical status of the SSPX. Admittedly the level of ambiguity of their current canonical status among informed and very bright Catholics is puzzling to me. What is clear to me, though, is the spirit of disobedience that runs rampant through the SSPX. For example, the SSPX do not believe that they are in Schism (or ever were) nor do they believe that Archbishop Lefebvre was excommunicated (he was and that excommunication has not been lifted). Their reasoning can be found on their own website archives: “No penalty is ever incurred without committing a subjective mortal sin (canons 1321 §1, 1323 70). Now, Archbishop Lefebvre made it amply clear that he was bound in conscience to do what he could do to continue the Catholic priesthood and that he was obeying God in going ahead with the consecrations (Cf. the Sermon of June 30, 1988, and Archbishop Lefebvre and the Vatican, p. 136). Hence, even if he had been wrong, there would be no subjective sin (SSPX).”Archbishop Lefevbre believed, erroneously, that if he did not gravely disobey the Pope, then the Catholic priesthood would not continue. And they say that this was not a mortal sin; actually, they say that it was no sin at all. There are recent books that continue this line of thinking, such as SSPX “apologist” Kennedy Hall's new defense of the Society. This thinking is ridiculous and insidious. For a more sufficient refutation of this line of reasoning, I would recommend this 2008 article on the excommunications from Cathy Caridi, J.C.L. of Canon Law Made Easy. The disobedience of the SSPX is insidious because they believe they are the saviors of Catholicism and that they alone are safeguarding Tradition from the Modernist Church. However, unlike the sedevacantists, they still acknowledge the rightfully elected Pope and his authority. They simply choose to be disobedient. In some regards, this position is even less tenable and less sympathetic than full-blown sedevacantism. The SSPX has significantly more faculties under some of the allowances granted by Pope Francis. Pope Francis gave priests of the SSPX faculties to validly and licitly absolve sins; this is a faculty granted by the local ordinary regularly. They were also granted faculties to witness Holy Matrimony validly and licitly. Those within the Society argue that this shows that they are not in schism and they are in union with Rome. I think it says more about Holy Mother Church's care for souls who are currently under the care of the Society than it does about the priests and leadership of SSPX. These are not canonical changes; they are indults (extension of legal authority in an action that the Church does not sanction). The reality is that the SSPX is not in full communion with the Catholic Church, they have no canonical status in the Church, and they are in schism (just as the Orthodox Churches are in schism). There is an excellent compilation of references by prominent clergymen about the reality of schism of the SSPX by no less than Cardinals Burke and Mueller here. A Schismatic Spirit is DeadlyThe Church of Jesus Christ is the Catholic Church, which is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Sedevacantism and positions such as that of the SSPX do harm to each of the four marks of the Church. The clear and manifest schism of sedevacantism is a wound to all four marks of the Church, but so is the ambiguous and insidious schismatic spirit of the SSPX. The Church of Jesus Christ is one, with Christ as Head and we as Members of His Mystical Body. This is an invisible reality but it is also clearly visible and hierarchical. As a Catholic, to reject the Vicar of Christ as the head of the Church on Earth is to reject Christ Himself. It is to cut off oneself from the Church. Of course, we pray for reconciliation and unity! As long as someone has breath in their lungs it is not too late to repent and return. However, we need to understand that schism is a grave evil on the same canonical level as formal heresy and apostasy. To leave the Barque of Peter in times of turbulent water is a misguided plan. Yes, times are difficult. Yes, the Church is in crisis. But Jesus Christ is not in crisis. He is asleep on the bench as the waves and wind rock and batter the boat. He is with us and all we need to do is call upon Him; He will calm the raging sea. Instead, if we trust in our own power, we will drown. If we make ourselves the authority, we will be doing the will of the Enemy rather than the Holy Will of the Father. If we are to love Christ and His one, true Church then we must avoid radical traditionalism and every sense of a schismatic spirit with a holy fervor. Noone knows better than Holy Mother Church. Times are tough. But the Church of Jesus Christ is the one place to be. A schismatic spirit is deadly to the soul.As St. Augustine said: “Bad times, hard times, this is what people keep saying; but let us live well, and times shall be good. We are the times: Such as we are, such are the times.”Good Distinctions is free to read and listen, but if you have appreciated the channel, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for as little as $5/month. It would greatly help us continue to produce content - Podcasts and YouTube software and equipment aren't cheap! Thank you for your consideration and prayers! Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

This week we mark 60 Years since the promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, is one of the constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. It was approved by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,147 to 4 and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 4 December 1963. This week's guest is: Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Parramatta - Very Rev. Fr Peter Williams AM VG Fr Peter is a liturgist at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and will speak about if we have truly achieved the liturgical objective of Vatican II. Say tuned to find out. – The Show is Live on the following Platforms Television   TV Maria: tvmaria.ph  Radio Platforms: Voice of Charity Australia (1701AM): www.voc.org.au    Radio Maria Australia: https://www.radiomaria.org.au/  Cradio: www.cradio.org.au  Social Media:  @thecatholictoolboxshow Facebook & Instagram - Partners: Parousia Media: www.parousiamedia.com EWTN Asia Pacific www.ewtnasiapacific.com Guest Link: https://cis.catholic.edu.au/instructor/rev-peter-williams/    - SUBSCRIBE to our weekly Alert and Newsletter: www.thecatholictoolboxshow.com Get your copy of "The Art of Practical Catholicism" by George Manassa: store.parousiamedia.com/the-art-of-practical-catholicism-your-faith-guide-george-manassa-paperback/  Book George Manassa to speak at your parish or event now: www.parousiamedia.com/george-manassa/    DISCLAIMER This Episode does not count as Medical, Psychological or professional advice. All the contents within the parameters of this episode are simply the personal views of the host and guest(s) and any personal advice reflected should always be verified by your relevant professional. In no way is this a substitute for seeking any professional advice and we urge that you seek relevant professional attention at any stage. Please seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website. If you are experiencing any emergencies please call  000 OR if you need assistance call  13 11 14 within Australia Or your national emergency service

Brother Andre Marie Host of The ReConquest show aired only on the Crusade Channel. Follow Brother on GAB and Twitter - @Brother_Andre Pius V -  Beautifying the Sacred Liturgy.  Quo Primum correctly: the Missale Romanum was established as THE Missal for all Christians, as the norm.  He used the existing Missale Romanum. Non-Christian aggression - it has been Islam, they weren't the first and certainly not the only. Muslims have basically taken over all of Europe. It is very timely for this day. Madrid 2004 Barcelona Basilica - still not completed yet, it was a major place of pilgrimage.  The designer the Holy Family Church in Barcelona, technically it is Spain but it isn't Spanish. HEADLINE: This is how the Barcelona attack was supposed to unfold by Tamar Lapin and Emily Saul  He was a baptized Catholic -  Hugh Owen will be speaking at this years Saint Benedict Conference in New Hampshire. Our true Origin Story is found in the book of Genesis. If we discard that than everything else in the Christian civilization is all based on a lie. HEADLINE: Man's Faculty of Speech Did Not Evolve by Sister Maria Philomena MICM Having shown the behind-the-scenes workings of the very faulty theory of evolution as so many proofs of Mr. Wolfe's central thesis — that speech is an artifact of man, not the result of evolution — the book comes to its denoument without a clear conclusion. Mr. Wolfe seems, after having torn the theory apart, to accept evolution — so long as its not applied to speech. If speech is, as Wolfe says, “a cardinal distinction between man and animal, a sheerly dividing line as abrupt and immovable as a cliff” (page 163) — with which conclusion I agree, by the way — where does the ability to speak, the power of language, come from? This is a question Mr. Wolfe doesn't even raise. As close as Tom Wolfe was to getting at the truth, he seems to have suffered from an intellectual myopia. As a “lapsed Presbyterian” who considered himself an atheist (but could not stand people who called themselves atheists), he evidently lacked the necessary perspective from which to critique Darwinism and answer the question of language more thoroughly. The quote about his religious non-affiliation, by the way, comes from an article that quoted him praising Catholic education! Modernism cut to the root of doctrine by inserting the idea nothing stays the same everything is in evolution or change. This is why they hate the traditional church and Mass. HEADLINE: Whitlock: The Los Angeles Dodgers and sports world take ‘Pride' in betraying the Christian founders of organized sports by Jason Whitlock  Professional athletes would rather ally with the Alphabet Mafia than with Christians. People who see their primary identity as sexual have and had nothing to do with the rise of professional sports. It's the people whose primary identity is based in their relationship with Christ who built the sports world and almost everything else we enjoy in America. The same cowardice and stupidity afflict the athletes. They're ungrateful. They're too high on weed or too filled with pride to recognize their treason. Their handlers tell them what to think, whom to support, and what to ignore. Many of the athletes feign religious faith. Pride is the gateway drug to idolatry. The LGBTQ+ have placed their sexual and gender identity well above their identity in Christ. They're taking pride in being outside the body of Christ. HEADLINE: Aristotle and Saint Thomas on Happiness by Brother Andre Marie ReConquest - Episode 375: Saint Thomas on Happiness and Joy These are all post Christian nations. They will produce a lot of evil. Cultural Marxism - it isn't really a German thing. Anti-Christian Elites - ACE

Have you ever connected what we do at Mass to Sacred Scripture? Dr. Sri shares a glimpse into this by explaining the “Sanctus” or “Holy, Holy, Holy” and its Biblical roots. By understanding the Biblical roots of the Mass, we can more fully participate in the Sacred Liturgy. Snippet from the Show The words and small gestures we do at Mass are profound ways that we can profess our ardent love for Jesus. For full shownotes, visit Ascensionpress.com/Allthingscatholic, or text ALLTHINGSCATHOLIC to 33-777 for weekly shownotes sent to your inbox.

IntroductionWelcome back to the fifth and final session of Praying the Mass! If you have not yet read parts 1 - 4 of this series, I highly recommend starting there!The Fourth CupI want to pick up from last week's conversation on the Liturgy of the Eucharist with a discussion of the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, particularly the Passover. On the night before He was to suffer, our Lord Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His Apostles. He chose this time and meal to establish the New and everlasting Covenant in His Blood. At the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we are not re-enacting the Last Supper. One of the major differences between the Mass and the Last Supper is that the Last Supper anticipated the Sacrifice of Jesus and the Mass makes this saving reality present once again.In fact, we cannot understand the Mass as the Last Supper only. The Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ spans His entire saving Action, from the entrance into Jerusalem until His glorious Ascension into Heaven forty days after His Resurrection. It is impossible to separate the suffering of Christ from the Last Supper. The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross was once and for all. God is outside of time. Therefore, the Holy Eucharist was established, along with Holy Orders, in the Upper Room before Jesus suffered and died. However, this is precisely because Jesus was making the Cross present in His Body and Blood offered in the first Eucharist.The key to understanding the unity of the Last Supper and the Cross is understanding the Jewish Passover meal. In the Passover, the father of the family would use the first-person perspective when recounting the narrative of the Exodus. The blessings are read by the father of the house and the first cup of wine is consumed: the cup of blessing.At the Passover meal, each adult at the dinner drinks four cups of wine. The four cups mark the journey of the Hebrew people. The four cups mark that 1) God will save His People from harsh labor, which He accomplished by the plagues 2) God will save His People from servitude to the Egyptians, 3) God will redeem His People, which the Jews saw in the crossing of the Red Sea, and finally 4) that God will take His People as a Nation, which happened at Sinai.In Jesus Christ, these four cups reveal their fulfillment. The first cup is fulfilled in various ways by Christ, and in the Book of Revelation, as the full manifestation of God to man. The ten plagues inflicted on Egypt were directed against the various false Egyptian gods. Jesus reveals to us everything that God wished to reveal about Himself and frees us from harsh labor or toiling without purpose in matters of Faith. The second cup is fulfilled by the Incarnation. By the God-man entering into our humanity, we are freed from the slavery of sin, in order to share in His divinity. The third cup is clearly fulfilled in Baptism, which is the definitive escape from the power of evil through the Red Sea.The fourth cup of the Passover meal marks the establishment of the People of God as a nation at Mount Sinai. As a nation, the Exodus from Egypt out of slavery was brought to completion. The New Exodus is the deliverance of men and women from the slavery of sin. The New Moses is our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him is the fullness of redemption. His Perfect Sacrifice on the Cross is begun at the Last Supper. Dr. Scott Hahn goes into exquisite detail about the relationship of the fourth cup, the Last Supper, and the Cross in his 2018 book “The Fourth Cup: Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross.” I would highly recommend purchasing this book for a deeper dive. The main theological point that is drawn is incredibly important: the fourth cup is absent from the Last Supper!The absence of the fourth cup from the Passover Meal would have been noticed by the Apostles. Certainly, they would have been wondering why Jesus left the Passover meal incomplete when He went out to the Garden of Olives to pray. Where then is the fourth cup consumed? It is on the Cross! The fourth cup in Passover marks the establishment of the People of God as a nation at Mount Sinai. In the New Passover, the fourth cup is consumed on the Cross when Jesus drinks wine mixed with gall and gives up His spirit saying, “It is finished (cf. Jn 19:30, Mk 15:37).” In Latin, the phrase is “consummatum est.” The fourth cup is called the cup of consummation.On the Cross, Jesus establishes the new and everlasting Covenant in His Blood. The Church is borne from the Cross. The People of God become such by entering into the death of Christ and thereby sharing in His Resurrection. All of this is possible because of the outpouring of Jesus to the Father. What we need to remember is that Mass is not a reenactment of the Last Supper. It is a coming present once again of the saving Mysteries of Jesus' Last Supper, Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.After Supper Was EndedLet us resume our walk through the Mass. The bread has been consecrated. Now, in a similar way, our Lord took the chalice in His holy and venerable hands. He gave thanks to the Father, blessed it, and shared the cup with His disciples. Why did our Lord do this? He could have consecrated the bread and wine together and given that model to the Apostles.As we have explored earlier, the Last Supper is not merely a symbolic meal, it is a real participation in the events to come of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord. God is the master of space and time, so this is not outside of the possibilities for Him. When Jesus says, “This is my body which will be given up for you,” we can hear that it is anticipating a future action. The mystery comes when we realize that even though He is talking about an action in the future, He is saying that the bread in His hands is His actual body. The Church has never believed these words to be metaphorical. That heresy did not appear until the second millennium.We know that the Holy Mass is a sacrificial meal. So too was the Last Supper a sacrificial meal, inseparable from the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the logic to the double consecration: the consecration of bread and wine separately. Jesus was making the Cross present at the Last Supper in a real, sacramental way, and, in so doing, made the Mass a memorial of the whole of the Paschal Mystery. When He took the chalice and said the words of consecration: “For this is the chalice of my blood...” He was essentially separating His Body and His Blood. The result of the catastrophic separation of Body from Blood is death.At every single Mass, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are separately made present under what looks like bread and what looks like wine. The Cross becomes present. The Death of our Lord Jesus Christ comes present. At the Last Supper, this was in an anticipatory sense because the events of the Passion and Death of Jesus had not yet happened. And at the Holy Mass, these events become present once more.Of course, we know that the Death of Jesus Christ is not the end. Our God knows the way out of death's decay. On the third day, He rose from the dead. His glorious Resurrection becomes present at each and every single Mass in a sacramental way during the Fraction Rite. Later on in the Mass, we sing the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). However, just before this, the Priest breaks a piece of the Host over the paten and places it in the Chalice saying, “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.”Mysterium FideiAfter the bread and wine have been consecrated, the priest says the “mystery of faith” or mysterium fidei (in Latin), which is new to the 1970 Missal. Previously, the phrase mysterium fidei did not exist as an acclamation; rather, it was part of the formula of consecration spoken inaudibly by the priest. It was included just after “the new and everlasting covenant (novi et aeterni testamenti)” and just before “which will be poured out for you and for many... (qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur...).” However, it was only those two Latin words: mysterium fidei.Originally, the use of the term mysterium fidei referred to the mysterious goodness of the material of Christ's Blood being poured out. An early heretical sect, the Manicheans, held that the material order was bad and only the spiritual was good. So, adding the “mystery of faith” into the Canon further showed how important the Flesh and Blood of Christ was and is, His material humanity joined to His divinity.The 1970 addition to the Missal of “we proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again” seems to be more akin to the traditions of the Eastern liturgies. The Liturgy of St. James, a Byzantine form of liturgy, says, “This do in remembrance of me; for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show forth the Lord's death, and confess His resurrection, till He comes.” This shows that the memorial acclamation may be new to the Roman Rite of the Church but it has been used for ages in the Eastern Catholic Churches.We are recognizing that the Mass is an anamnetic reality. By way of a quick review from last week, anamnesis in Greek literally means “bring to mind.” We could also translate it as a deliberate recollection. Anamnesis in the context of liturgy is more than just a memory or a calling to the mind in some abstract way. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the mediation of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, the One Sacrifice becomes present once again in an unbloody manner. The word anamnesis is what Jesus says in the words of consecration when He says, “Do this in remembrance of me.”So, the Mass is not a representation, it is a RE-presentation. It is the presenting once more the one and only Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His suffering, death, and resurrection. Anamnetically, we become present in these sacred events, outside of space and time. Through our prayers and intention, we take part in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We enter into the saving Action of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.Borne By the Hands of Your Holy AngelThe priest is not only offering the Sacrifice of the Holy Victim, he is presenting an oblation or an offering. In the First Eucharistic Prayer, the ancient Roman Canon, the part which makes this explicit goes this way:“In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us who through this participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.”As we mentioned last week, we recognize the Sacrifice of the Mass as the re-presentation of Jesus' suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. We acknowledge that He Himself is the Sacred Victim offered on our behalf. And now, we recognize the link between Heaven and Earth in the Holy Mass.What is offered here is not a request that the Body of Christ be locally transferred from the altar to Heaven. Jesus Christ is in Heaven already. Therefore, the meaning of this oblation is mystical. It is not a prayer invoking the power of God, like the epiclesis which calls down the power of the Holy Spirit on the gifts. Interestingly, the word used in the official Latin text for “these gifts” is more literally translated as “these Things.” God sees the gifts, He has commanded the Mass be offered in this way, and they are priceless and pleasing to Him.The word Angel that is used comes from the Greek word “angelos” which means “messenger.” Certainly all of the angels and saints are worshiping at the throne of God and are taking part in the Sacred and Divine Liturgy of the Mass. So, who is this Angel?St. Ambrose taught that an angel assists at Mass when Christ is sacrificed on the altar. From the text of the Roman Canon, there is little information as to the identity of this Angel. Is it the guardian angel of the Church? Is it St. Michael the Archangel, the guardian angel of the Eucharist? Is it Jesus Christ Himself, used in a metaphorical sense? Does the word Angel stand in for each and every angel and saint who takes part in the Mystical Supper of the Lamb?It seems clear to me that what is asked here is not possible to any angel or creature. Truly, what created being can accomplish what God has asked and what the Church presents once again here? Besides being a messenger, the Angel is the “One Sent” by the Father. So, it seems that the Angel is the Son of God, Jesus Christ: the One Sent by the Father. In fact, Jesus is the “Angel of Great Counsel” referenced in Isaiah 9:6. We also see the Word of God (albeit before the incarnation) active in creation in Genesis 1-2. We see the Word of the Lord coming to Noah (Genesis 5-6). There is also the mysterious passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus says that Abraham had seen Him (cf. Jn. 8:56).The point of this mystical prayer is to show that the Sacrifice of Heaven is the Sacrifice of Earth. The altar on high in the sight of the His divine majesty is the altar on which the Sacrifice of the Mass is being offered once more. Heaven and Earth meet by the power of the Holy Spirit and the mediation of the Angel of Great Counsel, our Lord Jesus Christ. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus... (1 Tim. 2:5).” So, the Holy Angel of the Mass's words is Jesus.The End of the Eucharistic PrayerThe priest ends the Eucharistic Prayer with a Final Doxology, a liturgical formula of praise to God, saying:“Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.”This entire Action, and truly the whole of the Holy Mass, is the action of God. The chief mover in the Liturgy is our High Priest, Jesus Christ. This final phrase given to us by the Church to close the Eucharistic Prayer might seem like a simple declaration of praise, but it is the key to understanding Catholic worship. “Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.” Do we go to Mass to receive the gifts that God wants to bestow upon us? This is the view that many within the Church hold. We go to Mass to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Of course, if we are in a state of grace, we have the honor and profound privilege of receiving our Lord in the Eucharist. But why do we go to Mass? Is it to receive or to give?The key is this: “all glory and honor is yours.” We recognize that we have come to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass with our full, conscious, and actual participation for one primary purpose: to give glory and honor to the Father. And through this cooperation with grace, God makes us holy. Almighty God does not need our worship, but He delights in it. We have freedom and the free self-gift of His son or daughter is His delight. If we come to Mass primarily to receive, we are not coming for the right reasons. If we say, “I did not get anything out of Mass today,” then we have a wrong understanding of the Sacred Liturgy. We should not say, “I did not get...” We should instead say, “Did I give my all to my Heavenly Father?”The Communion RiteFollowing the Eucharistic Prayer, we stand and pray the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us: the “Our Father.” This perfect prayer, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, contains all five excellent qualities required for prayer. It is confident, ordered, suitable, devout, and humble. It is also clear here the priest is leading this prayer in the Person of Christ, Head of His Body, because his hands are in the orans posture of offering.Next, the priest offers the peace of Christ to us, just as Christ offered His peace to the Apostles on the day of the Resurrection. “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld (Jn. 20:19-20).”Then, it is optional for the deacon or priest to invite the gathered faithful to turn to those in their immediate vicinity and offer the peace of Christ. This is the action of one Member of the Body of Christ to another Member of the Body of Christ. So, we do not say the other person's name, give them a secret handshake, or anything like that. We remember that Christ is now present on the altar and we offer the peace of Christ, which the world cannot give, to those around us. We are also reminded here of the words of our Lord: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Mt. 5:23-24).”The Fraction RiteAs I mentioned last week, the priest then takes a piece of the Sacred Host and breaks it. Then, he puts that piece into the Chalice, which makes the Resurrection of Jesus present in a powerful way. Body and Blood are reunited, never to be parted again! We, and the priest, do not receive dead flesh; we receive the whole Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity into our own bodies. Interesting to note here, as well, that our posture changed after the Final Doxology. Instead of kneeling in penitence and adoration at the foot of the Cross, we are standing in the joy and power of the Resurrection! Meanwhile, the priest is saying quietly: “May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.”Then, quietly, he prays directly to Jesus in one of two ways:“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, through your Death gave life to the world, free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be parted from you.”Or: “May the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in mind and body and a healing remedy.”Next, while facing the people, the priest raises the host and chalice echoing the words of St. John the Baptist,“Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.”The people and the priest then respond with the words of the centurion to Jesus who believed that He could save the centurion's daughter, despite being a Gentile pagan:“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”At this point, the priest then receives Holy Communion and then distributes our Blessed Lord, under the veil of a Sacrament, to the faithful gathered who are in a state of grace. Who Do We Say Amen?I think it is worth investigating: Why do we say Amen after receiving Holy Communion?In the Second Century, St. Justin Martyr writes in his Apologia that after the prayers of thanksgiving and consecration were finished by the priest, all responded by saying “Amen.” This is not simply a word found at the end of a conversation. It is not like saying, “Ok. Goodbye, God,” after a prayer is finished. St. Paul writes, “Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?” So, it would seem that the word Amen packs a punch. But what does it mean?Amen is a Hebrew word which means “so be it.” St. Augustine translated it as “it is true (Latin: verum est).” In a tract explaining the Mass from the Middle Ages, we read, “Amen is a ratification by the people of what has been spoken, and it may be interpreted in our language as if they all said: May it so be done as the priest has prayed (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907).”It is custom in most of the Rites of the Catholic Church, both East and West, to say “Amen” after receiving Holy Communion. In the 1962 Missale Romanum, the priest says, “Corpus Domini Nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam, Amen (May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen).” So, even though the communicant does not say “Amen” like in the Ordinary Form of the Mass, the priest has said “Amen” for them.The language of “Amen” seems to be like a contract. When two people enter into an agreement with one another, they may mark it with a handshake and say, “so be it” or “I agree.” Is that what is happening at Mass? Certainly, what we are entering into at Mass is far more important, meaningful, lasting, and beautiful. Perhaps more than a contract, the “Amen” shows us that the language of the Mass is that of a covenant. A contract can be broken. A covenant cannot be broken.When we approach our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we are approaching the Bridegroom as the Bride. We are uttering our wedding vows to the King of Heaven each time we receive Holy Communion. We are saying, “I do” when we say “Amen.” The meaning of the word is very close to this understanding. We are using the language of marriage to show that we are accepting the Bridegroom into our body and soul to remain with us always. As husband and wife become one flesh in marriage, the communicant and our Lord become one in the Eucharist. “Communion” means “one with.” We are becoming more closely joined to the Lord in reception of Holy Communion.Every time we say “Amen” we should call to mind clearly what we are doing. We are giving our assent of Faith. We are not saying “Okay” or “Sure”, we are saying “so be it.” Do we know what we are saying “yes” to? Do we know what we entering into? Our “yes” to God cannot be half-hearted or wishy-washy. It must be sure and resolute, by His grace. Our Lord Jesus is a strong proponent of authenticity and resolution. We hear in the Book of Revelation: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Rev. 3:16).” And in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes' or ‘No'; anything more than this comes from evil (Mt. 5:37).” Let our Amen mean Amen. Then, after Holy Communion, the priest or deacon purifies the Sacred Vessels, which is something only they can do. They quietly say:“What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.”Next, the priest invites the people to pray and says the Prayer after Communion. This is a special prayer given for each liturgical day, like the Collect, which ends the Communion Rite and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, more broadly. Will Wright Catholic Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Concluding RitesGreeting, Blessing, and DismissalWe have just taken part in the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which Jesus Christ became substantially, truly, and really present.  Having just received Him in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist, the faithful are living tabernacles.  The word Eucharist actually means thanksgiving in Greek, and this is what we are doing during the Concluding Rites.Out of deep gratitude for what our good God has done, we spend some time in silence following the Communion Rite, reflecting on the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist.  Then, the priest blesses the people assembled.  There is great power in this blessing. The priest, acting in the Person of Christ the Head, is blessing the people.  In other words, it is Christ Himself who blesses us at the end of Mass.  During Mass, where the priest is, there is Christ.The priest, acting in the Person of Christ, blesses those gathered with the power and might of the Most Holy Trinity: “May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”  By making the sign of the Cross and invoking the Trinity, the priest is sealing us with God's presence.  We have been shown mercy in the Introductory Rites and we glorified God.  We were fed with His adorable Word in the Liturgy of the Word.  And we received Jesus Christ Himself in the Holy Eucharist in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  This one, single act of worship began with the sign of the Cross and it ends with the sign of the Cross.Following the final blessing, the dismissal is given by the priest or deacon.  This is, in fact, where the word Mass comes from.  The words in Latin “Ite, missa est” literally means “Go, she (meaning, the Church) – has been sent”.  This word is related to our English word “mission.”  Fed by the Word and the Eucharist, Jesus fills us with Himself and we are strengthened to go out and share Him with the world. The Church exists to evangelize, and we are the hands and feet of Christ. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, in the Great Commission, Jesus says to the Apostles:“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mt. 28:18-20).”Likewise, the deacon or priest is acting in the Person of Christ, telling us to “Go” as well! The dismissal makes the Ascension anamnetically present to us, because that is exactly what happened after the Great Commission.Then, the priest, still acting in the Person of Christ the Head, then processes down the center aisle towards the narthex as a recessional hymn is sung.  Technically speaking, the one, single act of worship – the Mass – ends with the dismissal.  Practically speaking, our celebration of the Sacred Mysteries ends when the priest reaches the narthex of the Church. This practice of waiting until the priest reaches the narthex highlights the reality that Christ is the presider at Mass, acting through the priest.ConclusionI hope that this series has been a blessing to you. I hope that we all will continue in our pursuit of the glory of God and the sanctification of man. I hope that the Mass comes alive to your senses in a powerful way. Thanks be to God for such a great gift!Thank you for reading Will Wright Catholic Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

IntroductionWelcome back to session 4 of “Praying the Mass.” I am thrilled to share with you today the Liturgy of the Eucharist. With the Prayers of the Faithful completed, the Offertory begins. Presentation of the GiftsGiftsBread and wine are brought to the altar and prayers of offering and blessing are made. This presentation of the gifts, the bread and wine, and the preparation of the altar is getting us ready to enter into the most sacred part of the Holy Mass. The bread and wine, now present on the altar, are gifts because all created things come from God. Without the act of creation and the sustaining of being itself, we would not have bread and wine to offer in the first place. Even from the earliest days, humanity has offered the first fruits of their harvest or flock back to God in thanksgiving. Recognizing an abundant harvest or a healthy flock or even a child being born as a gift from the divine is not isolated to Christianity and Judaism. In the oldest pagan religions, armed only with God-given human reason, there is an understanding that there is a higher power which created and sustains all things. And, so, the bread and wine are gifts. But that is not all. Our own lives are gifts. The churches in which we worship are gifts. The vestments, sacred vessels, and artwork are gifts. Without God, there is nothing. Everything we have is a gift in a very real sense. As St. Therese of Lisieux said, “Everything is grace.” OfferingsThe bread and wine are offerings because they are being set aside for sacred use. Ordinary bread and wine are placed upon the altar with the full expectation of the miracle that is to come. These gifts are being offered for a specific purpose. Namely, to make Christ present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, under the veil of a sacrament. The bread and wine are not the only things being offered. We offer God, each day, our works, joys, sufferings, in union with the action of Jesus at the altar at Holy Mass. As St. Paul says in Romans 12: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Rom. 12:1).”Everything we do throughout our day, which is intentionally united to Christ, is our spiritual offering. In offering ourselves, we are transformed to be more like Christ, just as the bread and wine become Christ. We can also offer all of the many requests and intentions that we have. We offer all we are next to the bread on the paten and in the chalice with the wine.Finally, the bread and wine are holy and unblemished sacrifices. When the bread and wine are set aside for sacred use, they can no longer be used as ordinary food. In a simple sense, this is a sacrifice. When we understand that we are uniting ourselves to this offering at Mass, we come to realize that the content of our day to day lives is the sacrifice that we are offering. These sacrifices are acts of love: cleaning the dishes so your spouse does not have to do it, practicing virtue rather than vice, setting aside time for prayer, or striving to live the commands of Jesus Christ each moment of the day. Then, at Holy Mass, we offer these actions, as well as our failings, alongside the bread and wine. We become a sacrifice offered to God in humility. Holy because we are set apart by God in our Baptism. Unblemished because we are set right with God by our Baptism, frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance, and by being transformed by our receiving of Holy Communion in a state of grace. Prayer Over the OfferingsDuring Sunday Mass, the collection is taken during the Prayers Over the Offerings. This is a chance for the assembly to make their tithing a liturgical action. Just as the gifts of bread and wine are offered, so too are our “first fruits.” During this preparation, you might see the Deacon or Priest pour wine into the chalice at the altar and then a bit of water as well. They are also quietly saying, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.”Water, in most places of the world, is a fairly common thing. This is symbolic of humanity. Yet, wine is expensive and takes a long time to make; this is symbolic of divinity. And when the wine and water are mixed, can they be separated again? No! So, it is with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The Byzantine tradition takes the symbolism a step further. During Divine Liturgy, warm water is added to the wine during the preparatory prayers because the blood of a living Man is warm!Turning to the people after the Offertory Prayers, the priest says, “Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.” This is not a prayer. This is an invitation. This is a command. The people then respond, speaking to the priest saying, “May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church.” This beautiful exchange is a call to action. The priest is about to enter into the Holy of Holies to offer the one Sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the Person of Christ, Head of His Body. The people offer sacrifice as well, but in a different way as members of the Body of Christ.Also, the people are acknowledging that the Sacrifice being offered is 1) primarily at the hands of the priest, 2) is for the praise and glory of God, and 3) is for the “making holy” (sanctification) of the people.It should be noted that after the priest says the Orate, Fratres and he is offering the Mass in the ad orientem posture, the Roman Missal does not direct him to turn back towards the people until the Ecce Agnus Dei (“Behold the Lamb of God…”). He is in the fight. His attention, and ours, should then be entirely fixed upon entering into the Sacred Action of the one Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, presented once more, outside of space and time. Attention entirely fixed upon the task at hand, the priest begins the Eucharistic Prayer by saying, “The Lord be with you.” (Latin: Dominus vobiscum) The people respond, “And with your spirit.” (Latin: Et cum spiritu tuo) This small exchange is not a greeting. The priest is acknowledging that, in our Baptism, we are members of the Body of Christ. And as members of the Body of Christ, we offer ourselves in union with the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  We say, “And with your spirit” because we are acknowledging that by the power of the Holy Spirit, in his ordination, the priest is acting in the Person of Christ the Head of His Body. We are not speaking of “your spirit” as the priest's human spirit. We are acknowledging his priestly spirit, in Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Next the priest says, “Lift up your hearts.” (Latin: Sursum corda) The people respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.” (Latin: Habemus ad Dominum) Literally in Latin, this response means something like, “We hold towards the Lord.” This means we are lifting our hearts now or we have already been lifting them up and will continue to do so. God, ever-patient, is giving us another chance to clue in to the miracle in front of us before we charge into the breach in the battle of prayer. Then the priest says, “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” (Latin: Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro) And the people acclaim, “It is right and just.” (Latin: Dignum et iustum est) It is “right” for us to give thanks to God because that is why human beings were ultimately created. We are made to worship God. It is “just” because God alone deserves glory and praise.  This ancient dialogue of the Preface Dialogue begins the Eucharistic Prayer. It reminds us of who we are as priest and people, Head and Members of the Body of Christ. It reminds us of our active internal role in entering into the Sacrifice of the Mass. It reminds us of the glory due to God and our role in offering Him praise.  The PrefaceThe first essential part of the Eucharistic Prayer is the Preface for the day which is then offered by the priest. These prefaces change depending on the season of the Church liturgical year and the feast, solemnity, or memorial that is being celebrated. Directly following the Preface and just before the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer comes the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy). This ancient prayer was added to the Sacred Liturgy in the first half of the fifth century and is drawn from Isaiah 6:3 and Matthew 21:9. The Preface and the Sanctus specifically call to mind the angels and remind us that we are praising God, with all of the angels and saints in Heaven present with us. Heaven is touching Earth and we are present for this spectacular event.In the 1962 Roman Missal, there is a beautiful insight in the rubrics. At the word Sanctus, the priest joins his hands and bows in humble adoration of God. Then, at the words Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord), he stands fully and makes the Sign of the Cross. In the midst of the angels and the saints, the grace of God is pouring out upon us and blessing us as we enter into the great Action of Jesus Christ in the remainder of the Eucharistic Prayer.This is no longer called for in the rubrics of the 1970 Missal, but the spirit of the theological significance is no less for us!The Sanctus is one of the oldest congregational hymns in existence. In Greek it is the ton epinikion hymnon or “Hymn of Victory.” This the final part of the Eucharistic Preface and is said or sung at every single Mass in the Latin Rite. The hymn also exists in some form in all but one of the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church. Historically, in the Latin Church, the bells were rung at the start of the Sanctus to signal that the Roman Canon was coming imminently. Let us now walk through the Sanctus piece by piece. “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.” (Latin: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.) There are two main points of interest I would like to draw out here: the repetition of Holy and the word “hosts.”  In English, and many other languages, there are words called comparatives and superlatives. For example, we have the word “good,” the comparative “better,” and the superlative “best.” In Hebrew, this construction does not exist. To say “better,” you would say “good, good.” And to say “best,” you would say, “good, good, good.” Therefore, to say Holy, Holy, Holy is saying that God is the Most Holy. It is also a call to worship, often done in threes. Think, for example, of the popular Christmas chant where “O come, let us adore Him (Venite adoremus)” is repeated three times. And, of course, the repetition of three refers also to the Trinity. Like most things in the Church, there are multiple levels of meaning.The word “hosts” refers to the heavenly hosts of angels, which St. Luke refers to in his account of the birth of Jesus. These legions of angels do the will of God and bring Him glory. They are with us in the fight and they join us in worship of Him.  As Dr. Scott Hahn wrote so eloquently, “When we go to Mass, the congregation is never small, even if it is nonexistent in terms of human attendance. The angels are there, as is evident even in the words of the Mass: ‘And so with all the choirs of angels we sing: Holy, holy, holy…' The Mass itself cries out for us to be aware of our angels (Hahn, Signs of Life).” “Heaven and earth are full of your glory.” (Latin: Pleni sunt cæli et terra gloria tua) Of course, here we are giving God praise, acclaiming the truth that for those with the eyes of Faith, He is recognizable all around. All things are directed ultimately to Him. “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” (Latin: Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.) This refers to the cry of the people as Christ entered Jerusalem to the sight of palm branches being waved, reminiscent of Solomon's entrance into Jerusalem. The people exclaimed of Christ, “And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!' (Mt. 21:9)”  Hosanna means “Praise to the Lord!” And so, we are offering praise to the Father for the gift of the Son. In this hymn, the coming of Christ in the Nativity is called to mind. We know that Christ will come again. The Sanctus reminds us that Christ comes to us now. At the Mass, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus become present under the veil of a sacrament on the altar. The Sanctus, with its mention of the angels and the triumph of Christ, is like a bridge between Heaven and earth. The Lord of Heaven and earth is drawing us deep into His heart. The eternal self-offering of the Son to the Father in the Spirit is veiled before us by signs and symbols. But there is no doubt that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, especially in the Eucharistic Prayer is a foretaste of Heaven.  Epiclesis and Institution NarrativeThere are currently a few different options for the Eucharistic Prayer, proper. However, they all contain two more essential parts: the Epiclesis (Greek: Epiklesis, Latin: Invocatio) and the Institution Narrative. The Epiclesis is the calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine that they may become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Every Western and Eastern liturgy contains this essential prayer. The Institution Narrative is the full narrative of the Last Supper in which Christ instituted the Eucharist as the New Covenant, including the words of consecration (This is My Body… This is My Blood…).In the Catholic Church, there has always been an understanding that this invocation of the Holy Spirit was essential, along with the words of consecration.We may be tempted to ask exactly when does the bread and wine actually become Jesus' Body and Blood? Is it at the Epiclesis or is it at the Institution Narrative? This has been a source of tension through the history of discussions between the East and the West in the Church. The important thing is to recognize the essential nature of both. Without the words of consecration, there is no Eucharist. But without the power of the Holy Spirit, there is no Eucharist. This is absolutely not to say that the Holy Spirit waits for the priest to call on Him. The entire Holy Mass is the prayer and working of Almighty God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But God has designed that His creatures should cooperate with His sacred Action. Therefore, the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the words of consecration of the Son are both to the glory of the Father and the making holy of the people, which hopefully we will remember are the two main ends of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.We take our cue of the importance of both elements, the Institution Narrative and the Epiclesis, from the posture of the people at the Holy Mass. Following the Preface and the Sanctus, the people kneel. In the Roman Rite, the posture of kneeling is twofold: humility and adoration. We kneel in humble adoration because God is sending His Holy Spirit in power to consecrate the bread and wine to become the Most Holy Eucharist, at the hands of the priest. We are humble because we understand who God is and who we are in relationship to Him. We adore Him because it is right and just, especially given the miracle that is taking place in front of us.During the Epiclesis, the priest's posture changes as well. He extends his hands, palms facing down, over the gifts to show the calling down of the Holy Spirit. The bells are also rung at this time to draw our sense's attention to what is happening. During the Institution Narrative, the priest is engaged in the Sacred Action of Jesus Christ. When speaking the words of consecration, he bows and speaks in a straight tone. This is to show that the words are not his own, rather Jesus Christ is speaking through him at that moment. Back in ancient times, a messenger would visit a foreign king and speak the words of his own master. The foreign king would know that the words did not belong to the messenger because the messenger would speak them while bent at the waist. Then, the priest genuflects before the King of kings now present on the altar. Here, in the climax of the Mass, the bells are rung three times as if to say Holy, Holy, Holy. As I mentioned earlier, in Hebrew, there are no grammatical comparatives and superlatives. To say holier, you would say “holy, holy,” and to say holiest, you say “holy, holy, holy.”AnamnesisThe fourth essential part of the Eucharistic Prayer is Anamnesis.During the Institution Narrative, the bread and wine are consecrated separately, first the bread then the wine, and they become the Body and Blood of Jesus. The result of separating blood from a body is death. In this way, the Institution Narrative makes present the Passion and Death of Jesus. Is this just a metaphor? Is it symbolic? Far from being merely a symbol, this means the Holy Cross is made present to us in the here and now, outside of time, by the power of God. Rather, we could say that we are transported to the foot of the Holy Cross where the Son of God shed His blood and life for our sake. When we begin to see with the eyes of faith that this is a reality and not simply symbolic, we begin to understand anamnesis.Anamnesis in Greek literally means bring to mind. We could also translate it as a deliberate recollection. Anamnesis in the context of liturgy is more than just a memory or a calling to the mind in some abstract way. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the mediation of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, the One Sacrifice becomes present once again in an unbloody manner. The word anamnesis is what Jesus says in the words of consecration when He says, “Do this in remembrance of me.” The Anamnesis makes present the Sacred Action of Jesus Christ to our senses through external signs and symbols. It is a reminder on the surface level. But if we push past the veil, God allows us to see and to receive the full power of His saving Mysteries which were so powerful that they cannot be contained in a single moment of history. The Cross was two thousand years ago, but it comes present once again at every single Mass. What we see as signs and symbols are made truly present to us, in reality.Of course, after the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest puts a piece of the Sacred Host into the Sacred Chalice in the Fraction Rite. In this action, anamnesis makes the reunion of the Body and Blood of Christ, the Resurrection, present to us once more. He who died will not die again. The whole Christ is risen. This is why the faithful receive the full risen Christ in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in every particle of the Host or every drop from the Chalice.IntercessionsThe fifth main part of the Eucharistic Prayer is the Intercessions. Intercession means to intervene on behalf of another. From the outset, it should be clear that the Eucharistic Prayer must essentially be intercessory because it makes present the Saving Mysteries of Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and rose to redeem all mankind. St. Paul says to St. Timothy: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus… (1 Timothy 2:5).” Jesus Christ is our mediator. He is the Pontifex Maximus (the “Greatest Bridge-Maker“). He stands in the gap between mankind and the Father, a gap which was caused by Adam's first sin and perpetuated by each personal sin of every sinner. He is the only Way to the Father. He is the Bridge. And so, in the Eucharistic Prayer, we see this reality take form especially with the Intercessions. The Sacred Liturgy is a priestly action. It is the prayer of our High Priest, Jesus Christ, active in a special way through the instruments of the ordained minister and the baptized faithful as Head and Members. The Sacred Liturgy is the work of God for His glory and for the sanctification (making holy) of His people and the whole world. As the Eucharistic Prayer begins, the priest asks in the confidence of Jesus Christ for what we need, in and through Jesus Christ. The priest asks for the gifts of bread and wine, and the personal intentions and sacrifices of those gathered, to be accepted and blessed by God.  In this way, our own personal sacrifices and intentions are being offered to the Father, in the Son, and through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is interceding for us to the Father. He intercedes for the whole world, beginning with the Church. We ask that God may give the Church peace, guidance, union, and governance throughout the world. Then we offer intercessory prayer for the Pope and for our local bishop. In the first Eucharisitic Prayer, there are prayers of intercession for “all those who, holding to the truth, hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.” This means, firstly, the whole college of bishops who are the successors of the Apostles. But, it also means all those throughout the entire Church. The Church exists in order to evangelize. She exists in order to bring glory to God and full, abundant life to all men and women. This happens by fidelity to the catholic and apostolic faith which must be handed on without change or lessening.We should not forget the saints, as well!Since it has been established by the Church that we have recourse to the saints, to the glory of God, then we ought to exercise it. We have previously discussed the one perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. On the Cross, Jesus Christ earned superabundant merit. His perfect, eternal Sacrifice was sufficient to redeem all of mankind. But God has given us the ability to unite our own actions with His perfect Action. The merits of those who have come before us, the saints, are united to the Cross of Jesus Christ. Their cooperation with God's grace is what allowed them to accept the invitation to eternal life. No human action is done in isolation. Our actions have consequences, and they affect other people. Therefore, our good actions, our good works, create a ripple effect that positively affects the souls of others. When applied to the Cross of Jesus Christ, these good works share in the superabundant merit of Jesus Christ. This is the essence of what Catholics mean when they say, “offer it up.”It is not only the past merits and prayers of saints that have efficacious power in God's grace. The saints, alive in Heaven, pray for the good of those still below on Earth. The Church investigates alleged miracles, wrought by God's grace through the intercession of a specific person. If the miracle is found to be legitimate, then it confirms that the person is in Heaven. This is part of the official canonization process of the Church. By the merits and prayers of the saints, we are defended from temptation and evil. The genius of the saints is found in their fidelity to and love of God. The example of their lives and the fervor of their preaching is a testament to God's goodness and an acclamation of His glory. Even in the midst of suffering, we can claim the joy of Jesus Christ. Even if we feel utterly alone, we know that we are never alone. As the author of Hebrews writes: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1).”The Words of ConsecrationLet us finish today by looking at the gems of the Holy Mass: the words of consecration. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is one prayer of our High Priest Jesus Christ from beginning to end. But even in that one prayer, the Words of Consecration are precious jewels. These holy words, spoken after Jesus has taken ordinary bread in His holy and venerable hands, make His own Body present in a mystical way. Mystical, however, does not mean “less real.” The physical is brought up into the spiritual and transcendent in a way that is hidden to our senses but very much real. We have to remember the power of the speech of God. When God speaks, things come into being. Think back to Genesis: God said “Let there be light” and there was light. So, when the God-man Jesus Christ says, “This is my Body,” He means it. The bread is no more. The characteristics remain, but the substance underneath the appearances has transformed or shifted. This is the miracle of transubstantiation. Ordinary bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.The miracle of the Eucharist is a mystery. Though, we should be careful to take Jesus at His Word and to understand that God who made all things visible and invisible can make this reality present to us. When the priest elevates the Host, after the Words of Consecration, we are adoring our Eucharistic Lord, fully present under the veil of the Sacrament. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Sacraments. Baptism orients us towards Holy Communion, as does Confirmation. Penance restores us to union with God, to partake worthily of the Blessed Sacrament. Holy Orders and Matrimony are at the service of Communion. Finally, the Anointing of the Sick is healing for soul and body and can be followed by reception of Holy Communion. Each of these outward showings of God's inner-life, His grace, draw from the source of the Eucharist and are oriented to the summit which is the Eucharist. The Holy Body of Jesus Christ was “pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed (Is 53:5).” His Body was given up for you and for me. He went to the Cross for you and for me. But that was not enough for the gratuitous and superabundant love of God. He also established for us the everlasting memorial of His suffering and death by which the Holy Eucharist is made present for us to receive. The Byzantine traditions contain a remarkably beautiful prayer before Holy Communion which is said every single day at Divine Liturgy. This is a prayer of the heart, packed with meaning, gratitude, and seeking healing for soul and body. We will end today with this prayer and then pick up with the words of consecration over the chalice next week!“O Lord, I believe and profess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. Accept me as a partaker of Your mystical supper, O Son of God, for I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give you a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief I confess to You: Remember me, O Lord, when You shall come into Your kingdom. Remember me, O Master, when You shall come into Your kingdom. Remember me, O Holy One, when You shall come into Your kingdom. May the partaking of Your Holy mysteries, O Lord, be not for my judgment or condemnation, but for the healing of my soul and body.O Lord, I also believe and profess that this, which I am about to receive, is truly Your most precious body and Your life-giving blood, which, I pray, make me worthy to receive for the remission of all my sins and for life everlasting. Amen. O God, be merciful to me a sinner. O God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me. O Lord, forgive me for I have sinned without number.” Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

IntroductionWelcome back to Praying the Mass! Over the last couple of weeks, we have learned what the Sacred Liturgy is, what it's for, and we looked a bit more intently at Sacred Music and the Introductory Rites of the Mass. Today, we are looking at the Liturgy of the Word, but I want to begin with “part two” of our exploration of Sacred Music. As we looked at last week, music is integral to the Sacred Liturgy. So, it's important for us to know the mind and heart of the Church on the subject. And then we are going to take a close look at one of the most important theological ideas of this entire series: the Mystical Body of Christ.Sacraments vs. SacramentalsLet us begin first with a quick look at the difference between a Sacrament and a sacramental. This will be exceptionally brief, but I do not want to take for granted that the difference is evident to everyone listening. A Sacrament is one of the seven sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ as an outward sign of God's inward grace. The Sacraments actually make present in a very real way what is being symbolized. Baptism is not a bath; it causes a real change in us. The Eucharist is not a mere symbol; it is actually Jesus' Body and Blood. Sacramentals, on the other hand, like holy water, the rosary, blessed salt, the Sign of the Cross, and crucifixes have no intrinsic power. They are not talismans or magic. They simply dispose of our hearts, minds, and souls to God's grace. They open us up to God's supernatural aid and love!Full, Conscious, and Actual Participation and Sacred MusicFull, Conscious, Actual ParticipationIntimately related to music, let us begin by looking at the phrase from the Second Vatican Council: full, conscious, and active participation.In Vatican II's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Council Fathers write: “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5),' is their right and duty by reason of their baptism. In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else…”This notion of full, conscious, and active participation has been understood and misunderstood since the 1960s. There is a helpful distinction in the official text of the document. Of course, this constitution was promulgated in Latin not in English. The Latin word used for “active” is “actuosa.” While actuosa does mean active, busy, or energetic, this is not the meaning of the Church's document. If we dig a bit deeper into the notion of active we arrive at the notion of active, active rather than passive. We will arrive at actually proceeding rather than dormant. Based on liturgical documents before and after the Council, the true meaning of actuosa is better rendered as “actual” rather than “active.” Why do I think this matters? Well, if we stick to the idea of being busy or externally energetic, then we are missing the boat. Full, conscious, and actual participation in the Sacred Liturgy comes from the disposition of the heart which bears fruit in external ways through singing and saying the responses, sitting, standing, kneeling, beating one's breast, making the sign of the cross, and so forth. Full, conscious, and active participation does not mean that every member of the laity needs to busy themselves with some role to fulfill. As we will see in a few minutes, speaking about the Mystical Body of Christ, our role as laity differs in degree from that of the priest. The priest is offering the Mass in persona Christi capitis (in the Person of Christ, Head of His Body). The priest offers the holy sacrifice. We, the people, offer the Mass as Members of the Body of Christ. We do this by praying, singing, and focusing our mind, heart, soul, and strength on the liturgical action.As Pope Francis said in a homily in 2013, “Active and conscious participation in the liturgy constitutes being able to ‘enter deeply' into the mystery of God made present in the Eucharist: thanks in particular to the religious silence and musicality of language with which the Lord speaks to us (Sample, 11).” Liturgical activity is not a jamboree. It is not a festival. It is a sacred foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Above all, it is the presentation once more of the one sacrifice of the Cross in an unbloody manner. This is a great mystery. Our actual participation, as a member of the Body of Christ allows us to enter this sacred reality. Singing the MassAs Catholics, we are not called to sing at Mass. We are called to sing the Mass. We are not spectators at Mass, we are called to offer our own personhood, body and soul, in the celebration of the sacred mysteries. The parts of the Mass which are sung consist of the Ordinary, the Propers, the Orations and the Dialogues.The OrdinaryThe Ordinary are the parts of the Mass that are the same every Sunday (with the exception of Advent and Lent): Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Mysterium Fidei, and Agnus Dei. The Creed (Credo) can also be sung. These parts are ordinarily for the congregation or a choir. These are beautifully done with the music which receives pride of place in the Roman liturgy: Gregorian chant. The PropersThe Propers consist of five parts in two sets. The first set: Entrance Antiphon, Offertory Antiphon, and Communion Antiphon. The second set: Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Proclamation with its Verse. Each of the Propers have accompanying refrains and verses. These are often done antiphonally with the cantor or choir singing the refrain, the congregation repeating the refrain, and then the cantor or choir singing the verses. Just as the 1st and 2nd Reading and the Gospel, there are Propers selected by the Church for each Sunday Mass of the year and for every major feast or solemnity.These are to be sung, when possible, as they are part of the Mass. Unfortunately, this integral practice has been neglected in the Church for many years. I will go into detail a bit later about why liturgical chant is more appropriate and efficacious for the Mass than a hymn or song.Orations and DialoguesThe Orations and Dialogues are “the texts of the Collects and other presidential prayers, and those in which the celebrant and people address each other, for example the greeting and its response: “The Lord be with you” - “And with your spirit”. Musical notations for these dialogues are provided in the Missal and should be used (Arch. Sample, Pastoral Letter 2019, 13).”Hymns at Mass?Hymns, in the mind of the Church, belong primarily in the Liturgy of the Hours, also called the Divine Office or the Breviary. This custom of singing hymns at Mass arose during the Low Mass of the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Mass when the priest was speaking in an inaudible voice praying in Latin. The congregation would sing vernacular devotional hymns during these silent prayers. More on why hymns are devotional rather than liturgical in a moment.Though hymn singing at low Mass was the case historically, the mind of the Church is to sing the Ordinary, the Propers, and the Orations and Dialogues. Hymn-singing at Mass is not envisioned in the documents of the Second Vatican Council or any subsequent magisterial documents. The only exception is the allowance of a hymn of praise after the distribution of Holy Communion prior to the Prayer After Communion.The normative practice of music at Mass was not envisioned by the Church. It was set in many ways over the last decades by large music publishers which gave us the processional, offertory (preparation), and communion hymns, and then usually a recessional hymn or song. The recessional, by the way, is not in the Missal or any of the Church's music documents. It was simply tacked on to give a sense of closure. However, for many centuries, after Sunday Mass, it was customary to sing antiphons in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These four antiphons were done seasonally. More on those here.Liturgical vs. DevotionalHymns are devotional by nature. They are written by men and women and arise from the human heart up to God. Liturgical music, on the other hand, is handed down by tradition directly from Scripture (not paraphrased). In this way, liturgical chants are the written Word of God, which speaks to our hearts and comes to us from above, from God. We make these words our own as we sing them. By chanting, we are conforming ourselves to the word of God rather than giving God our word, as beautiful a gift as that can be. There is a time and a place. In a rosary prayer group, praying Marian devotional songs is always appropriate. In the Liturgy of the Hours, devotional hymns are always appropriate and called for. During praise and worship, devotional songs are our expression of our faith in God, our hope in Him, and our love of Him. However, there is something distinct and set apart, something utterly universal, something transcendent about the words of Christ coming down into our human existence in the context of the Mass. We take in these words, they form us more into Christ, and we glorify God. This is the action of the liturgy made flesh! The Son eternally offers Himself to the Father in the Spirit! As members of the Body of Christ, this is what we are participating in when we do liturgical singing and sing the Mass. InstrumentsThe Church gives us a clear vision of what has preference in terms of instrumentation as well. I do not want to spend a long time on this but I think it is worth mentioning. The Second Vatican Council says, “In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things… (Other instruments may be admitted) only on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful (SC, 120).”When it comes to instruments at Mass, the question we always want to keep in mind is: does this serve to facilitate praying and singing the Mass? Is it liturgical? Does it elevate or distract from what Christ Himself is doing?As an aside, pre-recorded music is forbidden to be used in liturgy by liturgical law. Ideally, musicians should not be particularly visually prominent. Choir lofts are the ideal, but may not be possible given your Church's architecture. It is simply always the standard that musicians at Mass should add to the solemnity of the occasion and never distract or detract. Solemnity is usually joyful; solemn does not need to mean somber unless the liturgical occasion calls for it.SilenceIt is also important to retain silence. God is manifest not only in the beauty of liturgical singing, but also in the powerful silence in which we hear His still, small voice. There is a rhythm to the Sacred Liturgy which must not be rushed or unduly prolonged by the music. Silence fosters communication with God. It allows for reflection and meditation. As St. John Paul II put it in 1998:“Active participation certainly means that, in gesture, word, song and service, all the members of the community take part in an act of worship, which is anything but inert or passive. Yet active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, stillness, and listening; indeed it demands it. Worshipers are not passive, for instance, when listening to the readings or the homily, or following the prayers of the celebrant, and the chants and music of the liturgy. These are experiences of silence and stillness, but they are in their own way profoundly active. In a culture which neither favors nor fosters meditative quiet, the art of interior listening is learned only with difficulty. Here we see how the liturgy, though it must always be properly inculturated, must also be counter-cultural.”Conclusion on MusicIn all things, pastors and musicians should familiarize themselves with the documents of the Church's Magisterium on Sacred Music and Liturgy. Special care should be given to Sacrosanctum Concilium, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Tra Le Solicitudini, the USCCB document Sing to the Lord, Musicae Sacrae, Mediator Dei. There is a lot to take in and these beautiful instructive and ecclesiastical law documents are not emphasized enough.Mystici CorporisA Reminder in Time of WarA full year before the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces during World War Two, in June 1943, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical letter entitled “Mystici Corporis Christi.” This encyclical is nothing new in Catholic teaching but was an affirmation of the identity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. This might seem like an odd topic to write about during such cataclysm in Europe, but the Pope thought it was important for people to understand the Church. Most especially, during this time and any time, the Church is called to share Christ with the world and make the invisible visible. The Church is called to be a source of love, faith, and hope in a beleaguered world.During the war, there was also widespread forced conversions of Jews to Christianity by anti-Semites. The Pope wanted to give a forceful condemnation of this practice. In Christianity, unlike some other major world religions, forced conversions are out of the question. Conversion to Christianity and incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ must be voluntarily based on faith, hope, and love, not involuntary compulsion.As St. John Paul II said so well: “The Faith is always proposed, not imposed.”The Church is the Mystical Body of ChristPope Pius XII states clearly that the Church is a body and it must “be an unbroken unity, according to those words of Paul: ‘Though many we are one body in Christ.' (MCC, 14).” However, this mystical body is also visible. With a multiplicity of members of all different walks of life, the Church is united in Christ who is the Head. This reality is both invisible and visible, both divine and human. This encyclical picked up the teachings of St. Paul on the Body of Christ, the Church, and laid the groundwork for a much lengthier discussion during the Second Vatican Council. The constitution concerning the Church from Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, further develops much of what the Pontiff wrote in 1943. We must realize that if the Church is a body, then it is an organism. As St. John Henry Newman said, “The Church is not an organization, it is an organism.” Of course, Jesus is the Head of His Body. Without the Head, we can do nothing. But the Head does not choose to operate in the world without the use of the Body. The Church is composed of Head and Members. It has a means for people to enter the Body by the power of the Holy Spirit. It has an internal means of subsistence which is the Holy Eucharist. And it has a means to grow, mature, and prosper in the life of grace, especially the sacramental life.The Church as MysteryThe reason that the Mystical Body of Christ is called “mystical” is because this reality is a mystery. A mystery is not something unknowable. A mystery in the Church is something which is revealed by God but is not readily understandable by human reason alone. The vital principle of the Church is Jesus Christ Himself. He is fully God and fully man. This is a great mystery, but it is true. The Son of God took on flesh, sharing in our humanity, though He remains fully the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. This is a great mystery. The Holy Trinity, truly, is a great mystery.By speaking of the Mystical Body of Christ, we distinguish it from the physical Body of Jesus. We also distinguish the Mystical Body of Christ from a natural body. Though we have spoken about how the Mystical Body of Christ is organized like a natural body, it is a supernatural reality. This must be the case because the Church is caught up in the mystery of God Himself. The Church is Invisible and DivineThe Church is not a human invention. The Church is the action of Almighty God, built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ, directed to the Father, in the power and working of the Holy Spirit. The bonds of divine Charity are what bind us together. And so, the Church is invisible and divine. The Church is Visible and HumanGod moves first and then we respond. Knowing and loving us before time began, God sent His Son to gather us together. As Pope Pius XII writes, “Now the only-begotten Son of God embraced us in His infinite knowledge and undying love even before the world began. And that He might give a visible and exceedingly beautiful expression to this love, He assumed our nature in hypostatic union… (MCC, 75).”What the Pope is pointing out here is the enfleshment of the God-man is the point of reference for the Church. Though the Church appears visibly and seems to be a human institution, it was first the action of God. Just as Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, so too the Church is fully divine and fully human. What Is A Priest?The popular definition of a priest is given as an ordained person with the authority to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments. Properly speaking, however, a priest is one who offers sacrifice. This is what a priest is. This is what a priest does. This is who a priest is. A priest has handed over his life to be at the service of Jesus Christ and to pour himself out in His service.Truly, there is only one Priest, the one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus is our great High Priest and every ordained man simply takes part in that one priesthood to varying degrees. For example, every baptized person shares in the priesthood of Christ in a general way. Whereas, deacons, priests, and bishops participate in the priesthood of Christ in particular and ever-greater degrees.Priesthood of All BelieversIn the general sense, we are all priests through our Baptism, because we all offer the sacrifice of our contrite hearts and our lives which take on new meaning when united with the one Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. For our Baptism is a kind of death, a sharing in the Cross. Therefore, in the priesthood of believers, we come to share in His Resurrection.The Ministerial and Ordained PriesthoodThe priest, however, in a very particular way, acting in the person of Christ, Head of His Body, offers the one Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. This is the essence of the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The entire Paschal Mystery of Christ becomes truly present by the power of God at every single Holy Mass. It is what He is doing! Our High Priest offers Himself in the Spirit to the Father and invites us to take part. But the way in which we take part, as Head or as Member of His Mystical Body, matters.The entrance of Christ into Jerusalem, His suffering, death, and resurrection, and His glorious ascension all become present once more. This one sacrifice is perpetuated as an everlasting memorial. Christ does not die again, yet His saving action becomes present once more through the Divine and Sacred Liturgy at the hands of the priest in the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ.Private vs. Public MassEvery single Holy Mass is celebrated primarily by Jesus Christ. In this heavenly banquet and sacrificial meal, there are many who are already living in the perfection of the Trinity. The saints in Heaven, whether they are officially canonized or not, are taking part fully, consciously, and actively in the Holy Mass. Likewise, the angels are constantly worshiping God in accord with His desires.When Mass is celebrated publicly, there is more than just the priest present on earth. There may be other ministers, a cantor, an altar server, a reader, or some other member(s) of the lay faithful. These Masses are beautiful because they show a greater sign of the Mystical Body of Christ gathered to worship God, head and members.However, what if a priest has to offer Mass privately? This has happened throughout the history of the Church. Priests are encouraged to offer Mass daily and they are therefore unable to have the faithful present every time they offer Mass. This is colloquially known as a private Mass, but the name is misleading.No Mass is private. At every single Mass, Jesus Christ is offering Himself eternally to the Father in the power and working of the Holy Spirit, and the angels and saints are actively taking part in this perfect worship. Heaven and Earth meet. The imminent and transcendent kiss. So, whether the faithful are present or not, the Holy Mass is the Holy Mass.Efficacy and Aims of the Most Holy Sacrifice of the MassAt the risk of treading on the same ground as Session 1, I think it is worth looking at the efficacy and aims of the Holy Mass. Since the very first Eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Most Holy Eucharist as the memorial of His suffering and death, by which the graces of the Cross would flow to the entire world, even two thousand years later. For, in the Mass, the Cross becomes truly present once more and the Blood of Christ flows to purify the world.The Mass is a true sacrifice that is offered to God alone. It is a sacrifice offered for the praise and adoration of our triune God in thanksgiving. The Mass is also offered for impetration, that is, to lay our requests for the world before God. The Mass is also a propitiatory sacrifice because it is the re-presentation of the Cross. In other words, the Blood of Christ flowing from the Cross is offered in expiation for the sins of mankind.Our High Priest, standing once again in the breach as our mediator, by the hands of the ordained priest, is offering His prayer on our behalf to God of praise, adoration, thanksgiving, propitiation, and imputation. Every single Mass is therefore infinitely efficacious and good, whether the faithful are present or not. Therefore, Mass is never really private. It is always crowded. We just do not yet have eyes to see this glorious reality.The Readings:First ReadingThe Liturgy of the Word begins after the Collect with the First Reading. Readings from Sacred Scripture of part of every Holy Mass. Each Mass, there is a First Reading, a Responsorial Psalm, and a reading from the Gospels. On Sundays, Solemnities, and some Feast Days, there is also a Second Reading. Generally, the First Reading is taken from the Old Testament. During the Easter Season (from Easter through Pentecost), the First Reading is taken from the New Testament.Responsorial PsalmThe Responsorial Psalm comes from the 150 Psalms, except for five times in the three year cycle of readings. These are a canticle from Exodus and Isaiah on Easter Vigil, the Magnificat on Gaudete year B, and Daniel 3 on Trinity Sunday year A.By the way, in the Lectionary, the part of the Roman Missal that contains the Readings for Mass, there is a two year cycle for daily readings and a three year cycle for Sunday Readings. When I was growing up I heard that we get through the entire Bible in three years. That's not quite true. The Sunday and weekday lectionaries contain 13.5 percent of the Old Testament (not counting the Psalms), 54.9 percent of the non-Gospel New Testament, 89.8 percent of the Gospels, and 71.5 percent of the entire New Testament. The Second Vatican Council called for a greatly increased amount of readings. In paragraph 35 of Sacrosanctum Concilium, they stated: “In the sacred rites, a more abundant, more varied, and more appropriate selection of readings from Sacred Scripture is to be restored (SC, 35).” For Sundays, vigils, and major feasts, the amount of Scripture read directly in the Tridentine Liturgy was 22 percent of the Gospels, 11 percent of the New Testament Epistles, and 0.8 percent of the Old Testament. The Responsorial Psalm is meant to be responsorial, of course. So, a large part of actual participation in the Mass means actually singing the response! If you can sing, sing loudly. If you don't think you can sing… sing even louder!Second Reading (on Sundays and solemnities)By adding a second reading on Sundays and solemnities, we are able to get through more of the story of salvation history over the three year cycle. But the Holy Mother Church also desires to show us more explicitly the intricate link between the Old and the New Testaments.Gospel AcclamationBefore the Gospel, outside of Lent, the Alleluia and accompanying verse, related to the Gospel of the day, are chanted. And during Lent, a traditional alternative acclamation is made: “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” Before this Gospel Acclamation, there are occasionally Sequences. These are the 11th Century Victimae paschali laudes for Easter, the 12th Century Veni Sancte Spiritus for Pentecost, and the 13th Century Lauda Sion Salvatorem written by St. Thomas Aquinas for Corpus Christi. The ones on Easter and Pentecost are not optional in the current Missal. Another optional sequence is the Stabat mater for Our Lady of Sorrows, added in 1727. The Dies irae for All Souls' Day and Requiem Masses was moved to the Liturgy of the Hours in 1970. GospelWe are seated for the readings, but we stand up for the Gospel Acclamation and the Gospel. Why? Because it is the life of our Lord Jesus Christ! When we hear the Gospel proclaimed by the Deacon or priest, then we are hearing the words of our Blessed Lord! And so we stand out of respect, reverence, and joy.Ordinary Ministers of ReadingThe readings used to be proclaimed only by the priest, at the altar, in Latin. Now, they are proclaimed at an ambo or lectern. The Old and New Testament readings and the Psalm interestingly were given to the laity as an Ordinary Ministry. This is a change from the pre-1970 liturgies and is a reform or development. The “lessons” as they used to be called were only offered by the priest. Now, they are proclaimed to the people in the vernacular. The Gospel, however, is never read by the laity, even an instituted lector. The Gospel “belongs”, so to speak, to the Deacon. Even at a papal Mass, a deacon will proclaim the Gospel. This is symbolized at the diaconal ordination when the man being ordained is given a Book of the Gospels. This is also why the deacon processes up to the altar, at the beginning of the Mass, with a Book of the Gospels held high!Liturgical ActualizationWhy does it matter that the readings are proclaimed or offered quietly in Latin? Following the authentic developments of the liturgical movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was an understanding brought to the foreground called liturgical actualization.When the readings are proclaimed at Mass, those sacred realities become present to us in a mystical way. When we hear of the Hebrews crossing dry shod across the Red Sea in the Exodus, we are there with them. By the power of Almighty God, the liturgy comes alive in a mysterious way and the fabric of space and time are folded in upon themselves. Thus, the readings are not mere recollections, nor mere instruction. The antiphons, the prayers of the Mass, and especially the proclaimed readings make the holy mysteries present to us and us present to them, in a way that escapes our understanding. As the Second Vatican Council teaches, quoting the Council of Trent: “... the Church has never failed to come together to celebrate the paschal mystery: reading those things ‘which were in all the scriptures concerning him (Luke 24:27),' celebrating the eucharist in which ‘the victory and triumph of his death are again made present (Trent),' and at the same time giving thanks ‘to God for his unspeakable gift (2 Cor. 9:15)' in Christ Jesus, ‘in praise of his glory (Eph. 1:12),' through the power of the Holy Spirit.”This sacred mystery of liturgical actualization is rendered more intelligible to our senses by having the readings proclaimed in the vernacular in a way that all can hear. Thus, reading at Mass is a true ministry and an action of our High Priest, Jesus Christ, working through the reader. “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his own word, proclaims the Gospel (GIRM, 29).”HomilySince the time of the Council of Trent, the sermon or homily was envisioned as taking place after the Gospel at least on Sundays and holy days. This was not happening everywhere, and so the Second Vatican Council ordered that these prescriptions of Trent actually come to fruition. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says this of the homily:“Although in the readings from Sacred Scripture God's word is addressed to all people of every era and is understandable to them, nevertheless, a fuller understanding and a greater effectiveness of the word is fostered by a living commentary on the word, that is, the homily, as part of the liturgical action.”I have found that the best homilies are, at the same time, sufficient in depth, personally challenging, accessible, and focused on leading us towards the next part of the Mass: the Sacrifice on the altar!Profession of Faith After the homily, on Sundays, solemnities, and special occasions we profess our faith with either the Nicene or Apostles' Creed. These creedal statements are so very important in the life of the Church. The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, to use the full name, is the fruit of the first two ecumenical councils in the 4th Century which safeguarded the Church against various heresies.The Creed is also something we profess together, as Head and Members of the Body of Christ, in response to the word of God that was proclaimed in the readings and expounded in the homily. Dr. Scott Hahn in his excellent book on the Creed refers to the profession in this way: “I want to show that creeds don't just make you who you are and I who I am; they also make us who we are. They are one of the ordinary means God uses to unite his people. God takes wayward tribes and makes them a nation--and, more than that, a family! He takes all the lawless, rebellious nations of the earth and makes them a Church--and, more than that, his own body! It begins with that cry from the heart: I believe!”Dr. Hahn also teaches us that the profession of the Creed is to the Liturgy of the Word what the reception of Holy Communion is to the Liturgy of the Eucharist! I find this so fruitful to contemplate before reciting the Creed! How can we pray the Creed better? First, if you do not know what is being professed, then ask questions and find the answers! The Catechism of the Catholic Church has an entire section devoted to walking through the Creed line by line. Second, do not just say it; really pray it! Savor every word and feel the weight of the History of the Church, the passionate preaching of the saints who defended each word, and the power of the focal points of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Trinity.Universal PrayerFinally, in the Liturgy of the Word is the Prayers of the Faithful or the Universal Prayer in which, standing, “the people respond in a certain way to the word of God which they have welcomed in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all (GIRM 69).”In these prayers, the Church asks us to pray:“a. For the needs of the Church;b. For public authorities and the salvation of the whole world;c. For those burdened by any kind of difficulty;d. For the local community (GIRM 70).”These prayers are directed by the priest and the intentions are announced by the deacon. If a deacon is not present, the priest can do so, or a cantor, lector, or one of the lay faithful are allowed to do so by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. ConclusionOkay. That's it for the Liturgy of the Word. There is far more to say. I could have spent an entire hour just commenting on the formatting of the lectionary. But this series is an introduction to whet our appetite. If any questions came up in your mind today during the presentation, please send them to will.wright.catholic@gmail.com and I will happily answer them!See you next week for the session on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I am so excited to share with you the astounding implications of liturgical actualization as it relates to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The mystery and beauty of it is breathtaking! Until next week, may God bless us and keep us, seeking ever more after His heart!Thank you for reading Will Wright Catholic Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. 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IntroductionLast week, we looked at the etymology of the word liturgy, a public service. We talked about the liturgical diversity in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. We learned that the Holy Mass is for the glorification of God and the sanctification of man. We looked at the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, made present once again by the Holy Mass. And we discussed how to put the cult back in culture. Most importantly, we defined the Mass. Hopefully we have it memorized by now! But if not here it is again:The Mass is the perfect self-offering of the Son to the Father in the Spirit in which we are invited to take part. Architecture, Gestures, and SymbolsWhen the Word of God became man in the Person of Jesus Christ, the spiritual met the material. The supernatural shared in the nature of the natural. God took on flesh to share in our humanity. Heaven and Earth met. This has always been the way of the Church. The outward shows something deeper inward. In the Sacraments of the Church, most especially, signs and symbols become the outward showing of God's inward grace. Hidden realities are made clear through the sacramental.This is what signs and symbols in the Church can do for us: they use the visible to lead us to and show us the invisible. Especially in the Holy Mass, Heaven and Earth meet. This is why Church art and architecture matters so much. Good art and architecture show us the truth and goodness of God!Basic Church LayoutGenerally, there are three different parts to a Catholic Church: the narthex, nave, and sanctuary. The Narthex is the gathering place and the appropriate place to chat and share in fellowship. In the Nave, representative of Earth, the people are seated standing or in pews for worship. In the Sanctuary, we have the place where the Eucharistic miracle takes place and Heaven meets Earth. This is why the altar is prominently in the center of the Sanctuary, Christ standing in the midst of His people. The Altar is ChristDr. Denis McNamara of Benedictine College points out that Preface V of Easter in the Roman Missal says of Christ: “As He gave Himself into Your hands for our salvation, He showed Himself to be the Priest, the Altar, and the Lamb of sacrifice.” The altar, which is the center of the Eucharistic celebration, is both the place of sacrifice and the table of the Lord. On this altar, the sacrifice of Calvary is made present once more.On the Cross, Jesus is the Priest because, as a Priest, He is offering Himself to the Father. He is the Altar because His Body is the place of sacrifice. He is the Lamb because, like the Passover, He is offered in our place.In the words of Mother Church, the Altar is Christ standing in the midst of His People. Even when an altar is consecrated and dedicated, it is anointed with oil as the Body of Christ was anointed before His burial.The Altar is not merely a table, even a sacred table. The Altar is first and foremost the place of sacrifice. The Holy Victim, who is also the High Priest, is offered on the Altar, which is His Body. The Holy Mass makes this reality present to us again.As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy from the Second Vatican Council says, “in the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem (SC, 8).” So, the Altar is a living altar in Heaven and the meal we share is a heavenly meal. This is why the Altar is holy and receives special treatment: anointing, incensing, covering, and lighting.Gestures in the LiturgyGenuflection and BowingThis brings us to a good point to discuss the gestures of genuflection and bowing. It would be very unusual to bow to a table. If that is all the Altar is, then we would be out of our minds to do so. Of course, we know that this Sacred Table is the place of sacrifice. The Altar is Christ.Jesus Christ is God Himself, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. He is our great High Priest. He is the Lamb of Sacrifice. He is also the King of the Universe. Even the worst kings and queens in history were honored by bowing and genuflection. How much more deserving is our perfect and infinite Lord!The proper gesture towards the altar which is the sign of Christ standing in our midst is a profound bow, or a bow from the waist. The bow is a bending of the head or body in reverence and submission. One definition of “to bow” is to “cease from competition or resistance.” How often do we resist the Lord? But, of course, God Almighty is so far above us that resistance or competition is unthinkable.By bowing, we remind ourselves of who God is and who we are. We are also reminded of what takes place and Who becomes present on the Altar during Holy Mass.When Do We Genuflect?The genuflection, or bending at the knee, is a sign of profound respect and adoration. Speaking of Christ Jesus, St. Paul writes:“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).”We genuflect in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord, present in the Tabernacle. We bend our knee to the one and only God and Lord of all. The Altar makes Christ present in a particular and special way, but the Holy Eucharist IS Jesus.So, with all of the explanation behind us: We bow to the Altar. We genuflect to our Lord in the Tabernacle.Other Gestures and PosturesAs we continue through this series, we will look at the meanings of several gestures and postures. One of the most prominent signs or gestures is the Sign of the Cross. There is the gesture before the Gospel. There are a few other instances throughout the Mass of bowing and genuflection. We will talk about kneeling, sitting, standing, and why each of these are important parts of the Sacred Liturgy. Today and next week, we will be talking about the importance of singing and speaking the responses. And later today, I will be mentioning the orans posture which seems to be misunderstood in the Liturgy.If you really pay attention, there are so many different gestures, postures, and signs in the Sacred Liturgy, and they all have a purpose and meaning.The Entrance and GreetingWhat is Everyone Wearing?If your church has a bell that is rung at the beginning, then what happens? We stand up. And then we see a procession of the priest, deacon, and altar servers. We will get to what this procession actually is in just a moment. But everyone is dressing up and putting on a costume. The priest will wear a chasuble which covers himself up so that we can better see Jesus Christ our High Priest. The chasuble is similar to the outer garment worn by the priest in the Temple in the Old Covenant. Likewise, the deacon is wearing a garb similar to those who assisted at the Temple; his garment is called a dalmatic and, unlike the chasuble, it has long sleeves. Underneath, the priest and deacon also wear an alb (a long white garment - albus means white in Latin) and a stole. The priest wears a stole around the back of his neck and which hangs on the front on both sides. The deacon wears a stole across his body from one shoulder to the opposite side by his hip. There are a couple other garments, but we will stick to what is seen for now. Altar servers are traditionally an apprenticeship for the priesthood. It is a close-up look at the service at the altar and an opportunity for conversations between priests and boys about the priesthood. So, the altar boys wear cassock and surplice which is a priestly garment. St. John Paul II allowed girls to altar serve in the late 1990s, if there were no boys available. The clearest case of this would be in the situation of an all-girls Catholic school. This has been expanded far beyond St. John Paul II's intentions in most Parishes throughout the world over the last few decades. In some parishes, to make a visual distinction, girls will wear altar server robes rather than the male garment of cassock and surplice. I plan on making a few more comments on altar serving in Session 5. So, stay tuned on that front! Anyway… back to the procession!What is a procession, liturgically and theologically?What is part of the procession? And is there a method to the ordering? If there is incense at the Mass, the server with the incense (the thurifer) will go first along with the server with the little boat of incense granules. Next comes the processional cross which is on a long pole for all to see. After that comes two candle-bearers. Then the deacon. Then the priest. We will discuss this more in the coming weeks, but the procession is a movement through Earth (the nave) towards Heaven (the sanctuary). It is a presenting once again of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.Once the priest reaches the altar, he bows and kisses the altar. This gesture is called “reverencing the altar.” In the 1962 Missale Romanum, the prayers show us the deep meaning of the priest's gesture:“Take away from us our iniquities, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we may be worthy to enter with pure minds into the Holy of Holies: through Christ our Lord. Amen. We beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of Thy Saints, whose relics are here, and of all the Saints, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to forgive me all my sins. Amen (Missale Romanum 1962; Baronius Press translation).”The Sign of the CrossThe very first thing the priest says in the Roman Missal is: “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.” The Sign of the Cross! Why do we trace the cross when we begin prayer? In the fourth century, St. Cyril of Jerusalem said this:“Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow, and on everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we rise up; when we are in the way, and when we are still. Great is that preservative; it is without price, for the sake of the poor; without toil, for the sick; since also its grace is from God. It is the Sign of the faithful, and the dread of devils: for He triumphed over them in it, having made a shew of them openly; for when they see the Cross they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, who bruised the heads of the dragon. Despise not the Seal, because of the freeness of the gift; out for this the rather honor thy Benefactor.”There is power in the Sign of the Cross! In the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Sign of the Cross is made dozens of times! In the West, we generally make the sign with an open palm which is a sign of blessing. In the East, the thumb, index, and middle fingers are joined to represent the Trinity and the ring and pinky are put towards the palm to show the divine and human natures of Christ. Either way, it is a great way to begin worship.Where do the greetings come from in Scripture?Next, the priest says one of a few different greetings which are all taken from the letters of St. Paul. The choices are a variation of: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you (2 Corinthians 13:13).”What does “The Lord be with you” and the “and with your spirit” actually mean?We are praying for the spirit of the ordained priest who we believe has been configured, through Holy Orders and the power of the Holy Spirit, to Christ in a special way.  When we say, “and with your spirit,” we are not simply wishing him well. We acknowledge his priestly soul and the fact that he is acting in the Person of Christ, Head of His Body. Next week, we are going to talk more about the concept of the Mystical Body of Christ.The Penitential ActConfiteorNext comes the Penitential Act. There are a few choices for the priest here, but the first and most traditional option is the Confiteor followed by the Kyrie. In the Confiteor we call to mind our sins, ask for the prayers of the saints and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ask for God's forgiveness. Before the 10th or 11th centuries, the asking for forgiveness was done by the priest in his preparation prayers in the sacristy. After that point, these prayers of preparation became part of the prayers at the foot of the altar. In the 1962 Missale Romanum, the first words of the priest after the Sign of the Cross are “Introibo ad altare Dei” which begins Psalm 42. Directly after this psalm comes the Confiteor, so named after the first word in Latin of this prayer. The prayers at the foot of the altar are then concluded; the prayers of reverencing the altar are then made, which I mentioned earlier. In the 1970 Missal which is currently in use the Confiteor is said not only by the priest but by all present. The prominent gesture associated with the Confiteor is striking the breast during the words mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa (through my fault, through my fault, my most grievous fault). This is the gesture of the humble sinner who is expressing his heartfelt contrition. Right after the Confiteor, the priest asks for God's forgiveness of our sins and we receive an absolution of our venial sins.Kyrie EleisonBefore the priest gives us absolution, the Kyrie is sung. The words in English are “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy,” but these do not do justice to what is actually said in the Greek. As a side note, along with one chant on Good Friday, these are the only Greek words used in the Roman Liturgy. Pope St. Gregory the Great implemented numerous liturgical reforms in the late 6th Century and early 7th Century; he retained this part in Greek to show communion with the East. The word Kyrie does mean Lord and Christe does mean Christ. But Eleison does not originally mean have mercy. Eleison in Greek is derived from the word from oil. Literally, it had the meaning of “Lord, pour your oil out upon us.” What is this about? How did that come to mean mercy? Well, oil was used in the Ancient Greek world as a salve for burns and bruises. It was also used to prepare wrestlers before the Greek Olympic games. And, so, when we say Kyrie Eleison, we are asking God to ready us for battle and simultaneously to heal our wounds and bind up what is broken in us!Gloria In Excelsis DeoScriptural basis for the GloriaNext comes the Gloria, which in English begins: “Glory to God in the highest…” Where does this come from? Well, like most parts of the Mass, it is taken directly from Sacred Scripture. We have just asked for God's forgiveness and received it, and now it is time to praise and glorify Him! We hear in Luke 2:8-20:“8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Lk 2:8-20).”Sacred Music at MassThe Gloria is one of the hymns in the Mass which is properly sung. But why? Like the angels in the heavens singing and praising God, so too do we unite our hearts and minds with this action of worship. Here, though, I want to take a detour from our regularly scheduled programming to discuss music generally.What is the purpose of Sacred Music in the Latin Rite? Maybe you know! Maybe you think you know. Maybe you have no idea. I hope to give the basics of what the Church offers. I am not interested in giving you my opinion or the opinions of others. What does the Church say is “Sacred Music?” I think it is worth giving a decent chunk of time here to get into it a bit!In January of 2019, Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon wrote a pastoral letter on Sacred Music in Divine Worship entitled: “Sing to the LORD a New Song.” It is a brilliantly written synthesis of the Church's perennial teachings on music in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The original letter can be found here. I highly recommend that any person involved in the ministry of music in a Latin Rite Catholic Church give it a read.Introduction to Church MusicQuoting St. Augustine, Archbishop Sample reminds us that singing is an expression of joy and of love. When the People of God gather, we sing praises to God. To lose the great 2,000 year tradition of Sacred Music in the Church would be a tragedy. In fact, the “beauty, dignity and prayerfulness of the Mass depend to a large extent on the music that accompanies the liturgical action (Sample, 1).”Speaking of language, form, and genre, Pope Francis said a few years ago that, “At times a certain mediocrity, superficiality and banality have prevailed, to the detriment of the beauty and intensity of liturgical celebrations (Sample, 2).”The archbishop alludes to the fact that there has been a certain confusion about Sacred Music in the past decades and that a rediscovery of the tradition of the Church will constitute for some a “change.” He says, “Change can be difficult, but this can also be an exciting time of rediscovering the spirit of the liturgy and exploring new horizons of sacred music (Sample, 3).”History and the Nature and Purpose of Sacred Music Since the time of the Apostles, singing has not been an addendum to the worship of God. It is integral. Singing is an art form that “takes its life and purpose from the Sacred Liturgy and is part of its very structure (Sample, 3).”The Second Vatican Council reiterates this in the document on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium: “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy (Sample, 3).”If this is the case, and it is, then it seems unfitting that the norm in the United States (at least) is to, as the archbishop puts it, “‘tack on' four songs (the opening hymn, the offertory hymn, communion hymn and recessional hymn), along with the sung ordinary of the Mass (Gloria, Sanctus, etc.). We must come to see that, since sacred music is integral to the Mass, the role of sacred music is to help us sing and pray the texts of the Mass itself, not just ornament it… The Church solemnly teaches us, then, that the very purpose of sacred music is twofold: the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful. This understanding of the essential nature and purpose of sacred music must direct and inform everything else that is said about it (Sample, 3 & 4).”The Qualities of Sacred MusicThere are three essential qualities of sacred music that flow from its nature and purpose: sanctity, beauty, and universality.SANCTITY - Sacred Music has sanctity because it is holy. It must be free of profanity in its words, themes, and the manner in which it is delivered. To be holy is to be set apart. Common, secular music has no place in the worship of God in the liturgy.BEAUTY – Liturgical and Sacred Music can give people a glimpse of the beauty of heaven, according to Pope Francis. Our liturgies must seek to be transcendent. They can be nothing compared to the glory of Heaven, but the beauty of Sacred Music can offer a foretaste of the Heavenly reality. UNIVERSALITY – The composition of Sacred Music, of any culture, must be recognized as having a sacred character. As a universal principle, holiness transcends every individual culture. In other words, “Not every form or style of music is capable of being rendered suitable for the Mass (Sample, 5).”The Treasury of Sacred MusicThe treasury of the Church's Sacred Music spans centuries. Whether ancient or modern, Sacred Music must have the same character of sanctity, beauty, and universality.  For example, there is Gregorian Chant which the Second Vatican Council gave pride of place in Sacred Music in the Roman liturgy. This has been reinforced by every Pontiff since. In terms of full, conscious, active participation of the laity in the liturgy, Pope Pius XI says this, “In order that the faithful may more actively participate in divine worship, let them be led once more to sing the Gregorian chant, so far as it belongs to them to take part in it (Sample, 6).”The Second Vatican Council also suggests that “(S)teps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertains to them (SC, 54).” This is referring to the Kyrie (actually in Greek), the Gloria, the Credo, the Sanctus, the Mysterium Fidei, the Pater Noster, and the Agnus Dei. Echoing the Second Vatican Council, Pope Benedict XVI said, “(W)hile respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (Sample, 7).”There are other kinds of Sacred Music in the Church. For example, polyphony has a venerable tradition in the Church, such as the compositions of Palestrina, Tallis, and Allegri. There is also a vast body of Sacred Music composed for the people, such as hymnody, psalmody, and different Mass settings in Latin or the vernacular. In contrast to Sacred Music is secular music. Secular music is not sanctified, necessarily beautiful, or universal. This does not just pertain to lyrics. There are a great many songs being written and utilized at Mass which are secular in their manner of being played (folk, rock, country, etc.) or their ambiguous lyrical content. Archbishop Sample quotes Pope Benedict XVI in saying: “As far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration. Consequently everything - texts, music, execution - ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (Sample, 9-10).”There is much more to say on music and full, conscious, actual participation in the Mass, but I am going to hold off on that until next week. Otherwise, this week will go far over an hour. So, make sure to come back next week for the exciting conclusion!The CollectThe celebrant invites those gathered to pray and then proclaims the prescribed prayer for the day from the Roman Missal called the Collect.  The Collect literally collects the prayers of the people and the priest offers these prayers to God. The Collect also disposes the hearts of those present to be made ready to hear the Word of God proclaimed in the following part of the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word. As we will see next week, when we talk about the Mystical Body of Christ, we need a priest to do this properly. In his priesthood, the priest is acting in the Person of Christ, the Head of His Body, at Holy Mass. Only he can collect up the prayers of the Members of the Body of Christ and offer them, by his consecration, to God the Father, in the Spirit. ConclusionWith the Collect, the Introductory Rites are concluded. Whether we are celebrating the Holy Mass by the 1962 Missal or the 1970 Missal, the Collect ends the beginning prayers of the Mass which prepare us for the Readings. Next week, we will be diving into this next part of the Mass, known in our current Missal as the Liturgy of the Word. We will also be looking closer at the theology of the Mystical Body of Christ. We will look a bit closer at Sacred Music in Mass. We will walk through the progression of Readings and the Homily. And we will be learning more about the Profession of Faith and the Universal Prayer. We will also look at the difference between Sacraments and sacramentals. I am certain there will be a few other side roads to investigate along the way.Thank you for joining us this week. I look forward to being with you again next week as we continue to learn more about Praying the Mass!Thank you for reading Will Wright Catholic Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

First of five sessions on the Holy Mass:IntroductionWhat is the Mass? Most practicing Catholics understand that Mass is important. It is something they should go to. But the opinions about Mass are all over the ideological spectrum. For this series, my hope is to share what the Mass is from the Mind and Heart of the Church. I have my opinions about liturgical aesthetics, architecture, art, and the like, but I am going to try here to stick to principles. I make my promise here to you that if I offer an opinion, I will explicitly make sure that you know it is an opinion. So, today, in part 1 we will be answering the broad question: What is the Sacred Liturgy? We are going to be going lightspeed over a vast amount of ground, but I hope that it is, nonetheless, sufficiently explained. In part 2 - 5, we will be looking at the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites. These four main divisions are packed with theological meaning, symbolism, and beauty. I am thrilled to be sharing it with you.The Sacred and Divine LiturgyEtymology of the Word “Liturgy”We should begin our exploration of the Sacred Liturgy by understanding what that word liturgy means. What is the liturgy? It is certainly a strange word to an English-speaker. Liturgy comes from two Greek words: leitos meaning public and ergo meaning to do. The Greek word for liturgy is leitourgos which is the same as the Latin word lictor, which both mean a public servant. In ancient Athens, public service was done by wealthier citizens by using their own wealth. This public service could be the manager of a gymnasium, the chorus singers in a theater, one who provides a banquet, or someone who funds and offers ships used for war to the state. In the Greek Old Testament, the term liturgy meant any kind of general service in the temple.The author of Hebrews states, “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry (Greek: leitourgos) that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises (Heb. 8:6).” So, the meaning of liturgy in the New Testament is established as the actions of the priest after the order of the High Priest Jesus Christ. Since we are speaking of terms, it is worth mentioning that in the Eastern Catholic Churches, the term liturgy is only used to describe the Divine Liturgy, that is, the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist. In the West, including the Latin Rite, the term liturgy is used for the Sacred Liturgy, which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. But, liturgy is also used for all official services, all the various rites, ceremonies, prayers, and sacraments of the Church. —--------------We could also ask what liturgy is not. Liturgy is not private devotions. Devotional practices are indispensable and beautiful expressions of the heart of man being offered in love to God. Liturgy, on the other hand, is primarily what God is doing for us, through the ministry of the Church, in which we enter in and take part. In the Liturgy, God is reaching into our humanity, as He did when the Son became Flesh, and lifting us up to be more like Him.St. Justin Martyr records around the year 164 A.D. what the Liturgy looked like in his day, early in the history of the Church. The full quotation can be found in paragraph 1345 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but I will summarize it.First, the Lessons are read. The Lessons are the Old and New Testament Scripture readings. Then a sermon is given by the bishop. There are prayers over the people, both those present and those throughout the whole world. The Sign of Peace is exchanged. The offering of bread and wine and water are brought up by the deacons. There is a lengthy prayer of thanksgiving done by the bishop. The bread and wine are consecrated by the words of Christ spoken at the Last Supper and they become the Eucharist. The people then acclaim Amen. Then, Holy Communion is distributed to those present and then taken to those who cannot be in attendance.Here we see that there is a structure to the Sacred Liturgy and there is human involvement and participation. But, as we will come to see, the Sacred Liturgy is about the work that God has done and is doing, in which we enter in and take part.Liturgical Diversity in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic ChurchOver the next few sessions, we will be exploring the Holy Mass of the Latin Rite using our current Missal. But I will also be touching on some historical points of references in the Roman Missal of 1962 and before. And I will also be bringing in elements of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom used in the Byzantine Rites. What the Liturgy is, which is our subject for the remainder of today's session, does not change from one form or expression of the Liturgy to another. However, there is a beautiful, legitimate liturgical diversity within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. Over the last centuries, the Church has been welcoming back many groups of Byzantine Catholics into full communion with the Pope in Rome. These Byzantine Greek Churches are called sui iuris because they govern themselves, under the authority of the Pope, but they retain their language, customs, rituals, and the like. Likewise, there are other non-Byzantine Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. Thus, the Catholic Church is far broader than just the Latin Rite, though the Latin Rite is the largest.What is the Definition of the Mass?Now we have a working understanding of the Sacred Liturgy as transcending each specific Rite of the Catholic Church. But what is it? What is the Mass? Dr. Scott Hahn of Franciscan University is fond of referring to the Mass as the continuation through space and time of the incarnation. Dr. David Fagerberg of Notre Dame speaks of it in highly technical terms: The perichoresis of the Trinity kenotically extended to invite our synergistic ascent into deification.There is a time for academic and technical explanations of the Mass! I, for one, love them! But what about the average Catholic in the pew or the lapsed Catholic? Surely there is a way to define the Mass that is in simpler terms without watering down the meaning.I will be repeating the following about three thousand times over the coming weeks because it is vital to our understanding of the Mass. At any rate, here it is:The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the perfect self-offering of God to the Son to God the Father in the power of God the Holy Spirit in which we are invited to participate and grow in our communion with God. Put even more simply: the Mass is the self-offering of the Son to the Father in the Spirit, in which we are invited to take part. What is the Sacred Liturgy “For”?Now that we have defined what the Mass is, then we can ask: What is it for? Why do we go to Mass? For many, it is a checking of the boxes. Yes, I went to Mass on Sunday and received my “spiritual vitamin pill.” But is that it? Is it about “getting something” out of Mass? Is it primarily something we are doing?From our definition, we know that Mass is the self-offering of the Son to the Father in the Spirit, in which we are invited to take part. It is something that God is doing and we are privileged to be beckoned to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb! So, what is Mass for? Why do we go? We go to encounter and worship God in the authentic way that He desires and be transformed by that encounter.There are two main ends of the Holy Mass: the glorification of God and the sanctification of man. Through the Sacraments (beginning with Baptism), God who became one of us dwells within us as in a Temple and makes us like Himself. Through this communion and union, we are made holy by God; this is the sanctification of man. As St. Irenaeus says in the 2nd Century: “The glory of God is man fully alive, but the life of man is the vision of God.” Apart from true worship, how can we be formed in the vision of God? How can we be fully alive and thus glorify God by our lives apart from the Mass? We cannot! As St. Padre Pio said, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.”So, what is the Mass for? To glorify God and to allow His Sacred Action to make us holy. Re-presentation of the Paschal MysteryWhat is the one sacrifice of Christ?To understand the Sacred Action of the Holy Eucharist, we have to travel back in time two thousand years to Jerusalem. The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the presenting once more, the “re-presentation,” of the One and only Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is the coming present once again to our senses, through the mystery of God, of the entrance into Jerusalem of Christ, the Last Supper, His suffering, His death on the Cross, His Resurrection, and His Ascension into Heaven. The Holy Mass marks all of these things, and makes them present to us, here and now, outside of time.The Holy Mass is a memorial of Jesus' suffering and death. It is not a reenactment nor is it mere remembering. In the Mass, by the power of God, these saving actions become truly present under the signs and symbols that God uses to communicate with us. He knows that we are flesh and blood. He knows that we are body and soul. So, He communicates with us through tangible signs, audible words, ritual actions, postures, and gestures. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation… The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the making present and the sacramental offering of his unique sacrifice, in the liturgy of the Church which is his Body (CCC 1359, 1362).” In Christ, all things are restored and made new. Primarily, we enter into this saving reality through our Baptism into Christ and His Body, the Church. In Baptism, we are a new creation. Baptism then orders us to communion with Him in receiving truly and substantially His Most Holy Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The Catechism goes on to teach that, “In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he ‘poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'… The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is its memorial and because it applies its fruit (CCC 1365-6).”How are the graces that Christ super-abundantly merited on the Holy Cross applied to us, almost two thousand years later? It is, first, through Baptism, but it is perpetuated in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This One Sacrifice of Jesus Christ is presented once more in an unbloodied manner so that we may receive the fruits of this great gift. Thus, the Holy Eucharist has the power to forgive sins, by the blood of Jesus Christ. United as one Body, the Church offers this One Sacrifice until the end of time for the good of the Church and the good of the whole world. Each time our Holy Mother the Church celebrates the sacred mysteries, it is Christ who is the High Priest, the Saving Victim, the Place of Sacrifice, and our Mediator between God and man. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. So, the Mass is not what we do for God. It is the perfect prayer and sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ to the Father in the Spirit because it is the whole of the saving action of Christ transcending time and space. As lacking as we are and as sinful as we are, we enter into this reality of the One Sacrifice. Our imperfect offerings and sacrifices are united with the One Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross and are made perfect. We cooperate with the One Sacrifice and we receive the saving fruits of the One Sacrifice. By the mediation of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to the glorification of the Father, we are made holy and we are transformed to be like Jesus. Every Sunday is a Mini EasterAs Catholics, we understand that at the Mass, in true worship, this Sacred Action is not a mere remembrance or a reenactment. These realities are coming present once again. So, it is fitting that every Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation because every Sunday is a mini Easter. How does this fit in the ancient understanding of Sabbath?The seventh day of the week is the sabbath, a day of solemn rest, that is set aside for the Lord. This goes all the way back to the dawn of creation when God made everything in six days and then rested on the seventh. The Sabbath day also marks the work of the Lord of acting on Israel's behalf and freeing them from slavery in Egypt. The Sabbath is a day of rest and refreshment. Jesus shows us in the Gospels that this does not necessarily mean refraining from all work, without exception. Instead, we must realize that the poor are to be refreshed as well. And so, the Sabbath is a day of doing good for others as well. As with many things, the New Covenant fulfills and elevates the Old Covenants. The Sabbath remains on Saturday, but Sunday is the fulfillment of the Sabbath. Sunday is the “eighth day” of the week and is symbolic of the new creation which was brought about by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus rose from the dead on the “first day of the week” and, therefore, consecrated a new moral commandment. We are to keep holy the day of the Lord by celebrating Sunday in an “outward, visible, public, and regular worship ‘as a sign of universal beneficence to all (CCC 2176).'” Our Sunday worship is the fulfillment of the moral command of the Old Covenant to keep holy the Sabbath day. The Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, on the day set aside for the Lord, is the heart of the Church's life. When we celebrate the Sunday Eucharist, we are marking the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this way, every Sunday of the year is a mini-Easter.The faithful gather together each Sunday and celebrate in the liturgical life what Christ has done, Who He is, what He has taught, and what He is doing through us today. Therefore, we go to church each Sunday, as well as holy days of obligation.As St. John Chrysostom said, “You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.” Catholics are obligated and privileged to participate in the Holy Mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation. The Eucharist is the beginning of our life of grace, and it is the apex of the mountain for which we yearn. Unless we are excused for a serious reason such as illness or the care of an infant or dispensed by our pastor, we fall into grave sin if we skip on going to Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation.We are not saved by ourselves. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they need you and me. We must be present in the Parish to pray as a Eucharistic assembly. Of course, there are many places in the world where there is a severe shortage of priests. In these cases, even, the people gather to break open the Word and pray together. God rested on the seventh day from the work of creation. Therefore, the Lord's Day, the fulfillment of the Sabbath, must be marked by an enjoyment of “adequate rest and leisure to cultivate… familial, cultural, social, and religious lives (CCC 2184).”As much as possible, we are to refrain from “engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body (CCC 2185).” We should not, however, neglect our duties to our family. As St. Augustine teaches, “The charity of truth seeks holy leisure – the necessity of charity accepts just work.”The Catechism of the Catholic Church also teaches that, “In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society (CCC 2188).”Even if our society does not recognize the Risen Lord, nonetheless, it is our joy and duty to witness to the joy of His Resurrection each Sunday. Every Sunday is a mini-Easter and should be celebrated as such!The Mass - True Worship and True CultureWe need the Holy Mass, but so does our modern culture. We have lost a sense of wonder and awe. Wonder and awe at the glory of the natural order is lost. Philosophers, theologians, political thinkers, and historians have debated the concept of the perfect world forever. In our fractured state, true consensus does not seem likely or possible in the court of public opinion. Without a concerted popular effort towards aiming at the same goal, the likelihood of achieving it is low. As to pride, it is not controversial to make the claim that most people today are either unabashedly or unwittingly self-focused. Mass helps us to get outside of ourselves because, as I hope I have shown by now, Mass is primarily what God is doing!If we reach back in History, we see that the greatest minds of science were motivated by wonder and awe at the majesty of God's creation. The foundational underpinnings of true progress and human flourishing comes from without, not within. What does a wonderless, blasé attitude do to a society? What becomes of culture? Putting the “Cult” Back in CultureWhat we need is to put the “cult” back in culture. Culture is connected intimately to worship. The root word is “cultus,” from which arises the English word “cult.” Cultus comes from the Latin verb colare which means “to till.” This is why we have the word agriculture (agri - field, cultus - till). In the Middle Ages, cultus came to mean adoration or veneration specifically. The prime act of worship is sacrifice. It is getting outside of oneself in order to show that worth is found outside of the self. Worship could thus be seen as “giving worth.” So, what happens when we lose a sense of wonder and awe? It's simple: we start to worship inwardly; we start to worship ourselves. Instead of the worship of one God, the replacement has been the worship of over seven billion “gods.” When every person is master of their own domain, then communal ties, even familial ties, begin to crumble. What would happen if we cultivate a sense of wonder and awe in our own life? I would imagine that we would start to be more appreciative and less cynical. We would be less pessimistic and more pragmatic, if not actually optimistic. We would have a longer viewpoint and shorter fuse. We would see beauty all around us instead of fixating on the ugly. We will understand that we are not the center of the universe but will not be lost to existentialist dread.Avoiding Existential DreadThis last thought is one of the most pressing. Given the loss of wonder and awe, our world has descended into meaningless existentialism. Shouting into the void in a primal scream is the only prescription for our nihilistic culture. Of course, if we recapture the sense of wonder and awe, then we realize that nihilism is itself nothing. We realize that there is something greater and that we are an important part of the whole. Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of True WisdomWonder and awe are not fixtures of a bygone era. They are the beginning of true wisdom. In fact, we could call them by their traditional name: “fear of the Lord.” This fear is a filial one, as a son to a father. When we begin to let God be God and understand that we are not, then we begin to see things differently. We take ourselves less seriously and take the Creator more seriously. We find ourselves, not “out there” or within, but rather where we place worth itself. This fear of the Lord and putting things right is the foundation of getting culture right. As then-Cardinal Ratzinger said in his book A New Song for the Lord: “Trivializing faith is not a new inculturation, but the denial of its culture and prostitution with the non culture.”Let us put the cultus back in culture, tilling and cultivating a sense of wonder, awe, and amazement. There is much to be grateful for in this world. It will not take long to recognize the Giver of the good gifts who gratuitously and generously generated all things and respond in gratitude. As we will explore in the coming weeks, the very word Eucharist means thanksgiving! So, how can we pray the Mass better? Begin with humility and gratitude! Conclusion: Worshiping God the Way that He WantsI want to end today by emphasizing that the Mass is primarily what God is doing. Jesus Christ is our High Priest in every age of the Church's History: in the catacombs, in the Byzantine period, in the Middle Ages, in the Renaissance, in the Counter Reformation, and up until today. We are invited to take part in what He is doing. Truly, the worship of God becomes unintelligible if it becomes separated from the Saving Action of Jesus Christ, offered to the Father, in the Spirit. In fact, this Sacrifice of the Mass is the heart of Christian worship. If we are not celebrating the memorial of the Paschal Mystery from the heart and ministry of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, then we are not worshiping God as He desires and as He has instituted. This is why the Catholic Church calls the Holy Eucharist the font and apex or the source and summit of the Christian life. There is no Church, properly speaking, apart from the Eucharist and the Holy Mass. To reiterate the words of Padre Pio: “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.”There is so much more to say, even about the basic theological foundations of the Holy Mass, but this is just the beginning. I hope you will join me over the next four weeks as we continue to understand the Mass more fully and journey through Lent together towards Easter!Thanks for reading Will Wright Catholic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

Father Mike Martin, OFM joined Josh for a conversation about the Sacred Liturgy. Topics included Mass as a prayer (7:34), what the liturgy is (11:22), liturgy is public (18:10), friendship with Christ (23:42), preparing for Mass (27:26), caller: How is Mass a sacrifice (36:50), Liturgy of the Word (43:19), engaging our young people (47:38). 

THE BISHOP STRICKLAND HOUR: Reflections on Sacred Liturgy by Benedict XVI - Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas gives guidance. A production of Virgin Most Powerful Internet Radio. https://virginmostpowerfulradio.org/

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Jn 1:43-51 - Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth." Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop Saint John, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3) Best quotes on the Liturgy by Joseph Ratzinger, Pt. 2  https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2023/01/best-quotes-on-liturgy-by-joseph.html?m=1#.Y7YDhOzMIW  4) A grassroots parent group seeking to delete critical race theory from schools has now expanded into a national political force to be reckoned with, as half of its 500 candidates took seats on school boards. “It's a parent revolution,” said Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty. “You have a whole new group of people entering into government and politics, these are normal people who have lives and families.” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/communityfamily/parents-become-political-force-in-2022

Dr. Tom Curran interviews Fr. Michael O'Connor, Pastor of Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay St. Louis, MS, about responding to the call to lead, provide and protect as a Catholic priest. They discuss the state of the Church, the courage to preach and the debate between “reverent vs. relevant” Sacred Liturgy. Watch homilies from Fr. Mike!

Join Archbishop Alexander Sample and host Dina Marie Hale as they take a careful look at the prayers of the Church or "propers" offered during the Sacred Liturgy. Explore these life-giving prayers and gain a better understanding of the unique role of the priest in the sacred mysteries of the Holy Mass. Go deeper into your understanding of the Sacrifice of the Mass and allow the Mass to change you. https://the-voice-of-the-shepherd.captivate.fm/listen (Subscribe to the Voice of the Shepherd) on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the https://archdpdx.org/ (Archdiocese of Portland). Find this show on the free https://materdeiradio.com/hail-mary-media-app/ (Hail Mary Media App), along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more. Look through https://materdeiradio.com/category/the-voice-of-the-shepherd/ (past episodes) or https://forms.ministryforms.net/viewForm.aspx?formId=f861df13-50f6-4182-8712-b794ec287dfb (support this podcast). The Voice of the Shepherd is produced by https://materdeiradio.com/ (Mater Dei Radio) in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Portland.

In response to Pope Francis' request that Catholics study the documents of Vatican II leading up to a Holy Year in 2025, Deacon Patrick Jones, Deacon Doug Flinn and Veronica Ambuul discuss "Sacrosanctum Concilium," the Vatican II document on the Sacred Liturgy.

Get his book, Principles of Sacred Liturgy and of course read through it. It will open your mind towards right and good attitudes that transcend the silliness of personal preferences and attachments to this or that thing. "Start with the documents" and not our idealogy. I bring up a lot of cultural issues that go along with liturgy: heretical hymns published in Catholic hymnals, confusion over what the Church is asking of us liturgically, music issues in the Mass, liturgical vs. devotional music, and the role personal prayer plays in the "wild creativity" that Pope Francis blames in part for liturgy wars today.

KRISTEN VAN UDEN, a spokesperson for Sophia Institute Press, is currently writing a book about the persecution of Catholics under Communism. About THE ANTICHRIST: THE FINAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE SAVIOR. FR. VINCETN MICELI (Sophia Institute Press) Fiction and nonfiction books and movies speculate about end-of-the-world scenarios, proposing a rogue's gallery of corrupt leaders and a host of chilling, apocalyptic theories. Disillusioned by the crippled state of our Church and our world, people are increasingly placing faith in prophecies that claim to know details and dates about upcoming chastisements. Will the “final confrontation” include unprecedented bloodshed or the subtle trickery of seduction (or both)? Have the current intellectual, political, and sexual “liberation” movements — including within the Church — created the platform required for the Antichrist to emerge? In an age of diabolical disorientation, this captivating book provides much-needed clarity on relevant biblical prophecies — from Old Testament times to St. Paul and Revelation — and writings of early Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church, including Sts. Augustine, Gregory the Great, Jerome, and Thomas Aquinas. This prescient book will enlighten you on whether there is more than one Antichrist, the types of leaders and societies that Cardinal Newman believed would be forerunners of the Antichrist, and how long the Antichrist will reign. You will also explore the Church's teaching on millenarianism and the prospect that the reign of the Antichrist is drawing closer. A valuable and timely resource, this book will aid you in understanding views on the Antichrist through history and how they are linked to predictions about the end of the world, the Second Coming of Christ, the role of false prophets, and the devices the evil one uses to cultivate apostasy. You will also discover: What the persecution of the Antichrist will entail and events foretelling his coming How to avoid being deceived by the Antichrist Our Lady's role in the End Times The significance of sacrilege, idolatry, and the “abomination of desolation” The consequences of attacks on the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Liturgy, and the Blessed Mother The correlation (if any) between Rome and the Antichrist How contemporary heresies, occultism, and immorality plant the seeds for evil This book will empower and encourage you to hold fast to your beliefs, bear witness to the truth, and defend against false teachings that subvert the fortitude of the faithful. https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/the-antichrist --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/john-aidan-byrne0/support

In today's episode we'll address what is the Liturgy in the Catholic Church, and in what sense or what degree it is important in our life, especially during our college years. I invite Fr. Matthew to discuss how the Catholic Liturgy is the worship that the entire Mystical Body of Christ (Head and members) offers to God the Father. Listen in to know how to make the most of your participation in the Sacred Liturgy! - The topics discussed in this episode can by found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 1066 through 1076. - You can also look this up in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 218-219 [Online here: Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (vatican.va)] - Fr. Patrick Wainwright and Fr. Matthew Maxwell are priests of Miles Christi, a Catholic Religious Order. - Visit the Miles Christi Religious Order website: https://www.mileschristi.org - This Podcast's Website: https://www.forcollegecatholics.org - To learn about the Spiritual Exercises (silent weekend retreat) preached by the Priests of Miles Christi, visit: https://www.mileschristi.org/spiritual-exercises/ - Recorded at our Family Center in South Lyon, Michigan. - Planning, recording, editing and publishing by Fr. Patrick Wainwright, MC. - Gear: Shure MV7 USB dynamic microphones - Intro music from pond5.com

Say goodbye to May and hello to June. You have a to-do list in your garden this month and Bishop Blase Cupich is appointed to a committee to oversee Sacred Liturgy. Get the latest on today's Morning Blend. https://the-morning-blend.captivate.fm/ (Subscribe to the Morning Blend) on your favorite podcast platform. Find this show on the free https://materdeiradio.com/hail-mary-media-app/ (Hail Mary Media App), along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more. Look through https://materdeiradio.com/category/morning-drive/ (past episodes) or https://forms.ministryforms.net/viewForm.aspx?formId=f861df13-50f6-4182-8712-b794ec287dfb (support this podcast). The Morning Blend is a production of https://materdeiradio.com/ (Mater Dei Radio) in Portland, Oregon.

"I'm mad at the way that the Church has gone into into decline... that we cannot seem to sell the incredible product we have." Join Fr. Brendan Kilcoyne for episode 69 of 'The Brendan Option' where he asks the upcoming Irish synod to tackle the problems with which the Sacred Liturgy is treated. "I'm mad at the way the Novus Ordo is said; I'm mad at our lack of reverence for the Blessed Eucharist; I'm mad at the lack of example we've given; I'm mad at the priesthood ....starting with this priest." "We have to get back to a real sense of reverence, of awe, of mystery and of love in the Eucharist." "This thing of 'involving the people'... The people are involved! The Mass is offered by the priest for them!" Visit our website: http://www.immaculataproductions.org #IrishSynod #Priesthood #liturgy #CatholicMedia #Catholic #Christianity #Orthodox #Tradition #Ireland #Irish #TheBrendanOption #ImmaculataProductions - - - ---------------- SUPPORT US ---------------- Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/immaculataproductions PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/ImmaculataProctions Our work won't be possible without your help. Thank you! ...And a special thank you to those who have already given us so much support! ---------------- FOLLOW US ---------------- There's the Benedict option, the Dominic option, and now we have the Brendan Option! Whilst you would have found St. Brendan voyaging the seas, our very own Brendan can be found as you surf the net. ⛵️ ✔ W E B S I T E http://www.immaculataproductions.org ✔ F A C E B O O K http://facebook.com/ImmaculataProductions ✔ I N S T A G R A M http://instagram.com/ImmaculataProductions ✔ T W I T T E R http://twitter.com/ImmaculataMedia ✔ L I N K E D I N https://www.linkedin.com/in/ImmaculataProductions ✔ V I M E O https://www.vimeo.com/ImmaculataProductions ✔ E M A I L info@immaculataproductions.org All Rights Reserved © 2022, Immaculata Productions

Speakin' with Deacon is a production of the Parousia Podcast Network, in partnership with Voice of Charity Australia and EWTN Asia-Pacific. Join Mark Griffin and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers as they discuss strategies that will empower us to ‘Announce the Gospel of the Lord' daily, through our words and deeds. In this episode, Deacon Harold helps to make a stronger connection between the Sacred Liturgy, the Scriptures and the everyday lived experience of our faith.

Join Archbishop George Lucas and Kris McGregor as they continue their conversation on the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Discerning Hearts Podcast The post WM19 – Vatican II – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy part 2 – Why it Matters: An Exploration of Faith with Archbishop George Lucas Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Join Archbishop George Lucas and Kris McGregor as they begin a conversation on the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Discerning Hearts Podcast The post WM18 – Vatican II – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy part 1 – Why it Matters: An Exploration of Faith with Archbishop George Lucas Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

In this episode, the Trad Men dig into the Second Vatican Council.  Specifically, Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.     If you've never had a chance to read this very important document of the Catholic Church, you can find it here.   Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening platform so you can be notified when every new episode drops.  You can reach us at tradmenpodcast@gmail.com  DOMINVS VOBISCVM!