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.