Could anything be more important than being in the presence of Jesus in His glory? Anywhere else one rather be? St. Peter on Mt. Tabor give us a good model for how we should respond to Holy Mass: "Lord, it is good for us to be here!" The Council of Trent teaches we must attend Mass with devotion and purity (exterior) and a pure heart (interior). What is a pure heart? Consider the visions of St. Mechtilde.
Today's gospel provides a powerful analogy by which to compare and contrast the Traditional and New Mass. We have a pharisaical liturgy for modern man where man stands with pride before God making it 'all about himself.' We have a publican liturgy for the marginalized man who kneels in recognition of his nothingness and God's greatness, not daring to enter the sacred sanctuary. With the new motu proprio, are we doomed to repeat the terrible errors which overtook the Church in the 60s and have left a loss of faith and devastation in their wake? How could anyone forget the ancient [...]
The great tragedy of 'Traditionis Custodes' is that Catholics today have almost completely lost faith in the infinite grandeur, sanctity and richness of the Mass. What was most sacred and filled with graces for past generations must remain so for us. If anyone, even the pope, wanted to radically change the Bible, hopefully you would respond that no one has the power to do that. Yet the Mass is even more sacred than the Bible. Consider four truths about the Mass. It is [1] The mystery of the Incarnation made present; [2] The birth of Jesus Christ; [3] The same sacrifice [...]
St. Thomas Aquinas taught "there are three sources of trial for the Church: (i) external persecution; (ii) undermining of the Truth from within by heresy and spreading of error; and (iii) corruption of members through sin." Under the guidance of the Holy Cure d'Ars, let us consider the third source. St. John Vianney could be tough in the confessional, but he would also shed tears and himself perform most of the penance due to his penitents. He knew that sin ties man to his shameful bonds (enslavement) and that absolved sins are completely gone! He had such a love for God and the [...]
In today's gospel, the pharisee tithed and fasted, but all to no avail as his motivation was false. The pharisee prayed badly, looking instead to see what the publican was doing... and criticizing him. This is a tendency in sinful man. Avoid this at all costs for it stems from human pride and is destructive. The best way to contribute towards building up any community (including our families) is through a concerted effort to grow in the interior life; to grow in holiness. Pray with humility as did the publican. Bear in mind that God exalts the one who humbles himself. [...]
In many ways, demoralization is the greatest enemy to the spiritual life. It is a great threat to the survival of a nation and of the Church Militant. It is one of the devil's greatest weapons against us: to depress us so that we lose all hope and give up. This is also a strategy of leftist marxist revolutionaries. They know that the first stage in collapsing a free society is to demoralize. People ashamed of their own culture won’t defend it when it is attacked. Many Americans—particularly younger ones—have been conditioned to believe that one belief system is as good as [...]
In the parable of the publican and the pharisee, note how the publican remembered his sins, whereas the pharisee did not (instead he remembered the sins of others). This shows us that overcoming sin and growing in grace, truth and virtue has a lot to do with memory. When you have been rescued from a pit, it is good to remember that God rescued you because He loves you. It is also good to remember that, on your own, you are capable of falling back into a deeper pit. Our Lord gave St. Margaret of Cortona nine remembrances for graces - [...]
