I believe that they have something so beautiful and holy that I’ve often thought of switching over to Latin Mass. I’ve only attended a couple of times in my whole life but I recognized something there that was missing in my Novus Ordo Mass. It is reverence and a sense of awe. Great care is taken by all! The priests, acolytes, and laity all pay a proper homage to our Lord and Savior in the Eucharist.
There are many large families at these Tridentine Masses. The men are all appropriately dressed in suits and ties. The women wear dresses and veils to cover themselves in submission to God. Except during the homily, the priest faces East as the Church has done since at least the third century. The music is classical and gregorian which elevates the heart like a crescendo of angelic proportions.
I can honestly say that I feel as though I am missing out on something truly beautiful and meaningful by not frequenting the Holy Mass in the extraordinary form. The Mass shouldn’t be all about my feelings, however! I know that in my head but my heart is saying something quite different.
In my ordinary Mass Church, I am both an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and a Lector (I read from scripture to the faithful) Women are not allowed to do these things in the Traditional Latin Mass. This is just fine to me. They have a right to hold to these traditions. I respect every one of them. I’ve served in these ministries at the N.O. Mass since 1997 back in California. I love what I do for the Church and its people. I have been honored to have brought communion to the sick and homebound since the beginning of my ministries. I’ve been blessed by it. I wouldn’t take back one minute of it. The Eucharist is the source and summit of my faith and I will never take it for granted.
This all puts me in a virtual Purgatory in my faith walk. A limbo state if you will. While I long for the traditional I am firm in my ministry at the new Mass. I love participating and being a part of the Mass. Believe me! I have tried to be a more passive attendee at the Mass. When I first arrived back to my Texas roots in 2013, I said to myself that I would not take on so many ministries. I’m going to let others do all the work this time. I’m not going to teach or serve. I’m going to sit on my hands as most people do! So there! That did not last very long. I not only began “helping” at my usual ministerial duties, I got involved in the pastoral council. I just can’t help myself. To tell you the truth I feel just so profoundly honored just to be close to Jesus in the Mass, I find myself crying with joyful tears quite often.
I suppose my faith walk should have nothing to do with my feelings or anyone else’s for that matter but we are all just humans here on earth reaching out for God because He made us to long for Him. That is how we are built. Our souls long to be with our Creator like a blade of grass reaches for the sun we (our souls) are made to reach for the Son of God. Some sad people don’t even recognize that they have a soul and they spend their whole lives searching for something to fill that empty void in the heart that only God can fill. That is why I pity atheists. It is because they think of themselves as mere flesh, blood, and intellect when they are actually so much more. Pray for atheists!
We are all so much more than we can see even in ourselves. But more importantly, God is so much more than we can fathom. There is room at His table for Traditionalists and Novus Ordo faithful. God hears all of our prayers no matter what language is spoken or sung. “His eye is on the sparrow so I’m sure he watches over me!” as the song goes.
I understand the pain that the Traditionalists are feeling. It appears that their way of worship is being squeezed out deliberately by Pope Francis. I have read the letter. He gives the Bishops discretion as to who, what, when, and where the TLM is said. He is forbidding new TLM church groups to be formed. That seems a little harsh to me.
According to:
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Traditionis_custodesTraditionis custodes ( Guardians of the Tradition) is an apostolic letter issued motu proprio by Pope Francis, promulgated on 16 July 2021. It restricts the celebration of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Rite, sometimes colloquially called the “Latin Mass” or the “Traditional Latin Mass”.
I’m praying for all of my brothers, sisters and fathers in Christ. I’ll continue to pray for our Pope. He needs our prayers. We should all pray for all of our separated brothers and sisters in Christ as well. Jesus said there would be division and He was not kidding!
Luke 12:51 Jesus says “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Just look at the state of Christianity today.
But ultimately Jesus also prayed for unity. Not in a New World Order way of phony fakery unity but of Christian unity.
John 17;21
American Standard Version
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
I believe in Christian unity. I consider all who love Jesus to be my sisters and brothers in Christ. How can I not? My love is not always reciprocated though. You can’t even imagine some of the names that I have been called by my fellow ‘so called’ Christians because of my catholicity. I’m sure these mean words are meant to save my soul. Right. That is a cross that I must bear. But I’ll do it willingly by grace of God. Jesus said, “Pick up your cross and follow me…” (not exactly like that). Most Christians adhere to Jesus’ teaching as do I. That we are called to love one another as Christ has loved us! So let’s pray for one another!
I’m going to also pray that God softens the heart of our Pope so that he can bring clarity to Church teaching. After every interview he gives I am left more baffled. Could there be a language barrier? That would be a good enough reason to return to the Church’s official language, which is still Latin. Just a thought.
On this podcast, I’m talking with my dear friend Laura Brockway who is a strong Catholic who is a Traditionalist. I admire her for that and many other reasons. She is firm in her faith and love of Christ! She has inspired me to learn my prayers in Latin. She is a remarkable lady and I hope she inspires you as she has me. Welcome to KathysRight Laura Brockway.
KAThysRight 