This video is about Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre; a great holy man who could see before-hand the dangers of modernism within the Catholic Church. In this video Michael Matt talks about Archbishop Lefebvre with great admiration. I would also like to put it out there that Michael Matt is also a great Catholic Man, who loves Catholic tradition, aka the Catholic Church. Michael speaks plainly the Catholic truth and does not misdirect Catholics toward any biases. Thank you Michael Matt for your Faith and works. (Thank you also to Michael Sestak for making this shorter version of Michael Matt's "The Church of Accompaniment: Luther vs. Lefebvre.") (Note: If you clearly understand modernism inside the Catholic Church and love it, this video is not for you.)
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With all due reverence, where is it? Where is the 'all due' reverence to God in the New Mass?
There is one thing that advocates of the New Mass do not care to focus too much on, something they know they cannot compete with the Old Mass. Perhaps, it is not their primary goal at all - that is the 'all due' reverence to God. For if the New Mass was to focus on all due reverence to God it will look something very much like the Old Mass. However that is not the goal of the New Mass. Let's try to prove it. The goal of the New Mass is the welcoming of each other; it is focused more for the people, instead of for God. If we randomly chose a few people off the streets and took them to both the Old and New Mass, and ask them which one seem more "reverent" and which one seem more "welcoming", we would be able to predict their responses fairly accurately. So why is this? It's because that's the intended purpose of both the Old and New Mass. One Mass clearly focuses on all due reverence to our Lord, the other is focuses on welcoming the people. So in a way it depends on what you want to focus more on, our Lord or the people. Remember we are not just talking about showing reverence to God, we are talking about showing "all due" reverence to God. The moment a priest from the New Mass realizes this and tries to change the focus on giving more reverence to God, he will face strong opposition. Why? Because the New Mass is not build for that... That's the evidence, that's the proof. While advocates of the New Mass keep on saying 'we can never go back', but why? Does God not deserve our all due reverence to Him? The faithful will always seek out what is righteous, and they will give back what is owed to God. Ad Orientem: Are we really waiting for Christ's return? Let's hope so...
Let's make a simple case for Ad Orientem, and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. Matthew 24:27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be." Jude 1:21 "Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;" Luke 12:36 "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks." [Let us be honest: when we are eagerly waiting, we are more likely to be facing the door, than sitting together facing each other. This sense of eagerness for Christ to return should be most relevant at Mass than any other times in our daily lives; for we are together as part of the Mystical Body of Christ. So why does the priest and the people need to face each other and not to the east? Has our sense of eagerness been lost for Christ's return? ] Catechism of the Catholic Church III. CHRIST OFFERED HIMSELF TO HIS FATHER FOR OUR SINS Christ's whole life is an offering to the Father 606 The Son of God, who came down "from heaven, not to do [his] own will, but the will of him who sent [him]",413 said on coming into the world, "Lo, I have come to do your will, O God." "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."414 From the first moment of his Incarnation the Son embraces the Father's plan of divine salvation in his redemptive mission: "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work."415 The sacrifice of Jesus "for the sins of the whole world"416 expresses his loving communion with the Father. "The Father loves me, because I lay down my life", said the Lord, "[for] I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." [Yes - it's the offering of Christ TO the Father, NOT to us but for us. Notice with ad orientem we face "to" the Father (eastwards) not "to" the people. That is the focus - to the Father. Too many people who do not like ad orientem say they want to see the priest, to see Christ. So if the priest is Christ would Christ not want to look to the Father? After all the offering is to the Father, not to us but for us. So why is it not suitable for us to face along with Christ to the Father? Let us appreciate the Mass for what it really is - the offering of Christ to His Father, for our salvation. Appreciate the significance of Christ's love, His offering to His Father.] If we are to wait, let us wait eagerly, and if we are to "look forward" (Nicene Creed), let us look forward to the east. If we are to celebrate Christ's glory, let it be the offering of Christ to His Father and not to us, but for us... Let us not look to each other but to the east, to the coming of Christ, to where God is. ![]() If the Mass is literally heaven on earth how can ordinary Catholics come to understand this? Perhaps we should first ask what is the most important part that happens at Mass? It is the words of Consecration, "This is my body... This is my blood..." Yes transubstantiation happens - when bread and wine become the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, what we call the Eucharist, the "Real Presence" of Christ. This is why the CCC 1324 says that The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." - it is Christ Himself. Also since we all are part of the mystical body (Church) of Christ - "the communion of saints"; we all celebrate the Christ's Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, this includes those in heaven - the Saints and Angels. So if God is with us at the Mass along with the Saints and Angels where is heaven exactly? Most people have heard the saying, 'heaven is where God is'. They imply God in the spiritual form, like around us or in our hearts.., so is that heaven? This may be true in a spiritual sense, but what's the difference between spiritual sense with heaven and God at the Mass? Yes God is really present, body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. So what does this say about this heaven. What about heaven on earth? If we look to the Bible, it mentions several times about heaven as the throne, and earth as a footstool. One verse mentions: 'This is what the LORD says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?' ~ Isaiah 66:1 At Adoration we come to adore the Eucharist in the monstrance, which is called the throne for God. So heaven is the throne of Christ here on earth, and earth is the footstool. Can we make the connection now? Heaven is present at the Mass because God is present. His is present at the Mass, present in monstrance throne at Adoration, present in resting place in the tabernacle. We don't see heaven because God is veiled. We only have our faith in His Real Presence and of heaven. Through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, God invites us to celebrate His great glory, in heaven on earth. We believe it! Treat the Mass, the tabernacle, the monstrance, the sanctuary with great reverence, because where God is on earth, heaven is. Literally. If first apostles receive on hands, why not us?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider is saying we "receive" the Eucharist we do not take it... National Catholic Register Finally is the amazing insight of St. Augustine. Recounted by Pope Benedict in his exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, “Augustine imagines the Lord saying to him: ‘I am the food of grown men; grow, and you shall feed upon me; nor shall you change me, like the food of your flesh, into yourself, but you shall be changed into me.’ It is not the Eucharistic food that is changed into us, but rather we who are mysteriously transformed by it” (70). If we believe that this “mysterious food” (ibid.) has the power to change us—if we believe as St. Augustine and Pope Benedict believe—our manner of eating must signify such belief. Eucharistic food is “not something to be grasped at” but is received with humility and obedience (Phil 2:7-8). Only then will we be, like Christ, “highly exalted” (Phil 2:9). ... Even though, as Pope John Paul acknowledges, Communion in the hand can be carried out with reverence and devotion; and even though reception on the tongue is no guaranteed symbol of fidelity and humility; Communion on the tongue is, all things being equal, the most suitable manner of reception. In certain cultures, including our own, the bride and groom often receive from the hand of the other a piece of wedding cake at the wedding banquet. When done with love and devotion and faithfulness, the small gesture signifies not only the care one pledges to the other, but also the concern a vulnerable spouse can expect from the other. At the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, our humble reception of the fruits of his saving work likewise show our devotion to him, our Spouse, and express our abandonment into his care. (Source) This is the Prayer that was taught by the Angel of Peace to the three children at Fatima in 1916. How fitting is this prayer for us to pray for those who do not believe in God, and even more so do not believe in the Eucharistic God. For the Eucharist is sole means of Salvation. How thankful are we who believe and receive our Lord. How much reverence is due to Him at Holy Communion. Pardon Prayer My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You. Amen. Jesus Is On The Floor |
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