On Sacrosanctum Concilium

We studied the documents of Vatican II at church (yes, we don't pretend that it doesn't exist)... and these next blogs are my notes...

**What is below is my shorthand mixed with my own thoughts. This post is a note/thought dump and may not make sense! If I can clarify anything, please let me know so I can edit/explain further.**

Dec. 1963 Sacrisanctum Concilium
This constitution was for the restoration of the Liturgy. It had "fallen away." It needed to be clarified/ Reformed. There was the liturgical reform itself, then there was the reform of the Office, music, and art. Adapted to things that are subject to change, but never tells what is what. "If Christ established it, it is not subject to change." Apostles, early Church Fathers said the same thing. But later... it is now "subject to change"
Purpose of Reform.

• To foster and promote union to whoever believes in Christ. (non-Catholics).

• Strengthen and to call all mankind into the Church. (intro of culture into liturgy.)

But NOWHERE does it say anything about God being worshiped in a more fitting manner.
The price of our redemption, the Precious Blood, feast no longer first class. "Christ becomes sin (man) for us" He does take on so much for us.
The "Paschal Mystery" is the NEW thing.(1) The Cross (meritorious), the (2)Resurrection and the (3) Ascension (exemplary/non meritorious) These three made present by liturgy. We encounter the person or events... not the merits.
Meal~ This is what its about. That is why there is now a Jewish table blessing. The people are in the pews for the Last Supper. True presence is not fortified. Transubstantiation is not mentioned, but the presence is now found in the Word. The table of the Word. "where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there..." (that's why in the procession, now the Missal is held above the head processing in... looks so cheesy.)
But Tradition says the death of Our Lord is the sacrifice that saves us, not the Paschal Mysteries. The Mass is the application of the merits won for us while Christ was alive. Once you die, you cannot merit. And neither could Christ. The Resurrection and Ascension didn't and could not merit any thing for us, and this document makes no distinction. (the authors did not want it to!) The Sacrifice was a finite historical event. How could it happen again? Accidents (like appearances, not like car accidents) happen only once. Calvary happened 2000 years ago, and it will never happen again. But what about the Mass? We can have the effects of the historical event applied to us, AND THIS IS WHAT THE CHURCH HAS ALWAYS TAUGHT.

The Bible is inspired, yes. But no "presence it brings" is inspired. Infallible does not equal inspired, and this is very important to understand. The Faith comes through a medium: the teaching church (not us lay people.) Not directly.....As a side note, this makes me wonder how everybody and there mother believes that God is using the "Holy Spirit" to help them make the right decisions. Maybe their conscience that God gave them, yes. But the Holy Ghost?..... St. Paul asks "How can I believe/hear with out a preacher" Rom 10:14. The Church has always been the vehicle the brings you the Faith. Now, lay people are encouraged to come on up and read from the book. Why? Because there is no mediator now. We get "inspiration from the Word proclaimed" with or without the clergy of Christ's Church.

Redemption is now the manifestation of God's love. It expresses the Father's love for us. No longer is it a sign of God's justice. (boy, I havent heard the j word in a while.) Charity has been divorced from Justice....

This document does say true things. In themselves, they are okay, but it leaves out everything that should support it, so when you read it, you can come out thinking like a Modernest. There are no traditional terms left in it. Has the Church been out of Harmony for the past 1500 years, beacause what is implied is very different from what was taught? The reform of liturgy was to be understood with ease, but no person (priest/bishop/cardinal/pope) can change it on his own authority. Read the Council of Trent. You have to believe everything it says in order to be Catholic!
I will leave you with what Sacrosanctum Concilium says...
Latin is to remain preserved in the Roman Rite.
The people should be able to sing in Latin to "sync your devotion to Liturgy."

But why was the Office changed from where the priest had to do 150 Psalms in a week to finish all 150 psalms in a month. I guess the Vatican thought they would have less time on there hands with all the seminarians that were going to come with Vatican II.

St. Paul, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.

Are there still Thomists?

Today, I would like to provide an argument in favor of the Tridentine Mass. Surprised?..

This Saturday I was told that the religious group, Home of the Mother, celebrates Mass according to the '62 sometimes. Well, good. I told the person "that Mass will bring your religious order and the world many graces." I was expecting a "yeah, I know, right!" but instead I got an "all Masses bring graces. There is only one Mass, you know that, Alex."

It was clear that my reputation precedes me...
I laughed to my self, and had to admit that with every true Mass comes infinite graces. But on my way home, I thought of an argument...

Studying St. Thomas' Summa, at our last chapter meeting, the question of why we have different Masses (I.e. Mass for the dead, Mass for the election of a pope, Mass in honour of the Blessed Virgin, the saint of the day, etc.) was the topic. The answer the Angelic Doctor gives is that the Mass is two things. First and foremost a Sacrifice. It is the same Sacrifice in any valid Mass (A Tridentine Mass, a Novus Ordo Mass, yes, even a Black Mass) Second, the Mass is a prayer. And it is THEE highest form of prayer possible. This is what makes the Masses different. Some are for some intentions, some are for others. And as we all know, some prayers are more pleasing to God, because of how they are offered. One form of the Roman Rite undoubtedly makes the sacrificial nature of the Mass more concise and clear. The more direct our intention is, and the better we prepare ourselves for the prayer; the better it is for us and He Who Is. If you take a the Mass codified by St. Pius V and you take even the best, most conservative, Latin Mass of Paul VI there's still trouble (Google the Ottaviani Intervention if you don't believe me.) Then, if you take the Tridentine Rite, and compare it to a Vulgar mistranslated (not even close) Mass,-full of women readers,-"Eucharistic ministers,"-priest dishing out Communion in the hand saying "Good morning, Bill, Body of Christ"-folk guitar, drums and chimes -and people shaking hands and throwing out peace signs... its simply not comparable. Let me ask you this.

Why are there two forms of one rite? Why is there an Old Rite at all. If two things are the same, that means there is no difference. "Six of one, Half dozen of the other", right? If there is no difference in the "extraordinary form" and the Novus Ordo, why did the bishop of my diocese turn away the Fraternity of St. Peter? Why wont he provide funds for priests who want to learn the ancient Roman Rite? Isn't it the same Mass, Your Excellency? Or is it a waste of time? Is he scared of a Parish that preaches Purgatory, that teaches from the Catechism of St. Pius X, that has a Dominican community which practices penance and true Dominican Spirituality?

Apples and Apples, or Apples and Oranges? Happy feast of St. John of the Cross.

St. Thomas, pray for us.
St. Dominic, pray for us.
St. John of the Cross, my Confirmation patron, pray for us.

Its like magic, but real

I spilled some wax on my dress pants. I thought I was screwed. But a Servite told me this is how you get it off.

Cut two strips out of a paper bag. Each fat enough to cover the whole spill.
Put one immediately under the the stain, and on on top.
Iron that bad boy on medium heat.
The wax gets hot and soaks into the paper and off your pants/shirt/cassock/altar cloth.

True story!

Quick thoughts

I would like to jot down some of the things that are going on upstairs.
Truth. Do you love truth. Do you hate evil. Do you hate the schism or the schismatic. Do you love your local ordinary, or do you hate him. Do you love the Bishop of Rome or do you hate him. If one says that attending an SSPX Mass can fulfill your Sunday obligation, and it is not a sin to go there, and the other says you can't go there because he doesn't like Tradition, who do you believe? (I'll give you a hint, if you're Roman Catholic, you believe the Pope.) Tradition has been all but outlawed. But it is worse. It is tolerated. It is the ugly stepchild. It is not worth your time to read Open Letter to Confused Catholics, Timebombs of the Second Vatican Council, or even a Novus Ordo book Ecumenical Council Vatican II; a much needed discussion, written by Monsignor Gherardini in Rome, because if you do you will not be open to the Holy Spirit. You will be a bad Catholic. You wont even be Catholic, because it is schism to question the local priests. It is "pompous to think you know better than the Pope."
Open a book, its out in the open. Open Catholic Code of Cannon Law, soften your heart and your mind, and let God work. Love God, and hate what offends him. Do not remain ignorant. Do not think what you don't know wont hurt you. It is a tremendous disservice to God if you choose to blindly be a yes-man your whole life. God will not be fooled. If you can read this, 1. You can read, God has given you the gift of literacy, use it to get smarter/more informed. 2. You have the internet. 3. You have the names of three books that will make you love Jesus more.
Are you a Catholic to fit in? It sure would be a lot easier. Or are you a Catholic to worship God in the most and pleasing manner possible, so that He might be glorified more than ever. Dont be scared to be persecuted for justices sake...there is a second part to that beatitude.