I agree with the lack of reverence, some from the priests in some churches. I had a problem two weeks ago with the way the priest held in his hands the Hostia, how quickly he moved from side to side, the second lecture was shortened to two paragraphs and the sermon consistes of a young priest coming half way down to the middle of church telling us to look at each other so we could see Christ on that person and to close our eyes, etc., I felt like running out of the Church, I didn't do it due to the fact that the Church is still the House of God and the Blessed Sacrament was there. But nevethless to say I came home shaken with so much lack of reverence from the priests, the way they laughed when the Mass was finished and while walking out of the altar halfway to the door. Two times in the space of three weeks I became scandalized by it. It is terrible.

RevThreeVS21.

I had to admit that had me laughing. I mean really laughing. I could just see your pastor. (You will find that the virtue, if I can call it a virtue, of diocesan priesthood is compromise. Ie keeping the majority of the people happy.

Many years ago when I was in my 20's I was at a church where the 'kiss of peace' was a three ring circus. (I have seen worse, at Spanish Masses, so bad my former pastor cut them out, and he liked the kiss of peace.) At this one Mass the pastor used to walk around the Church shaking everyone's hand. (A forbidden practice.) So when he came to me to shake my hand and said God's peace. I decided to have fun with him. I said: "the Peace of Christ who is truly present on the Altar as we are speaking be with you also." The man looked like I hit him, and my pastor said: "he is present in all of us" I responded "but not substantially." He left looking quite shaken. My sister said what did you tell him, did you insult him. I told her: "I just reminded him he is a priest configured to the Altar and to stay in his place."

Do watch out though when you try to do signs of reverence distinct from other people around you. The liberals will try to stop you. How one tactic is to say: "Are you Catholic" when you kneel or genuflect for communion. Another is to intentionally trip or fall over you when you are genuflecting. (I saw a guy in seminary do this a couple times, when the people would genuflect coming in, he after a few times would get right behind him and pretend to trip over him so it was a formation issue on the genuflecting guy. One time I was looking at one guy, and he was actually staring at the guy as he tripped over him and said he didn't see him. Was he blind, he was looking down at him. Reminds me of those people on real TV cop shows that fake a fall in a wal-mart to sue them. Oh may I add the guy is a priest in a diocese in New York.) So be as innocent as a dove and as cleaver as a serpent with liberals.

I wish you luck or better said divine providence trying to get a Traditional Mass. Try to get the traditionalists together in your town, form a group with them. (Minimize differences as much as possible to create a large group.) try to create an organization with resources, and when you approach the bishops they may hear. As John Demmers used to say: "Bishops back bones vibrate to bank vaults." Not easy to do since the more conservative Catholics being faithful to the Church usually have large families, and so live hand to mouth, but if you work together you can get resources together. This way you are ready to support a priest when one comes.

You know under Summorum Pontificum if a community approaches the pastor, he is obliged to provide the Traditional Mass. This may not mean he has to celebrate it, but he must make provision, and this may mean going to the bishop. If they are refusing it may be time to create a paper trail and go to the Ecclesia Dei committee.

Create interest, get a group, maybe you can bring in speakers to create more interest. Let people see the beauty of the rite. (Numerous Traditional Masses on the Internet to look at, or on DVD.) I hope you succeed.

Brother, instead of answering this choir director, with an explanation, what you should do, is the next time, the Eucharist, is concencrated. Lay prone, in front of the alter. And that should, get your point across, to your choir director. I used to lay prone, when the prayer, was concencrated in my Parish, until, my Father Flores, told me to stop, it was to distracting. I chastised him, by telling him....you have asked me, to pray for the conversion of your parish, but yet, you won't let me lay prone, when the Son of God, appears, on the Alter? I am sure, he is going to be dismayed, as soon, as the Traditional, Latin Mass, comes within a 100 miles of the valley I live in, and I no longer attend his church. I bet, I can lay prone, when the Eucharist, is being concencrated in a Traditional Church.....all I want....

Revthreevs21

Miss Maria,

Indeed you raise a great question one I have recently been dwelling on. You have some of these people one or two times a year. C & E Catholics, as opposed to PTA Catholics who you get three times a year. Either way you see these people, if luckey 2 to 3 times a year. They are the unevangelized.

What is the problem, they have been so indoctrinated by the secularism preached for the last 30 years that they don't know what Catholicism is anymore. They have itching ears.

So how do you capture their imagination, and hearts for the Gospel, when they have mainly accepted another gospel? Do you do a sermon where you cover the entire gospel? They will never come back and turn you off quickly, because they tend to have rather short attention spans. You cannot get near to 10 minutes unless you are a great orator. So what happens? Priests so desperate to keep them try to entertain them with the same liberalism or humor, or magic tricks only further encouraging this liberalism.

So you have to preach on the day, on the mystery of faith. I think you need stick to just the issue simply. Let the feast bring the person to Christ.

My dear brother in Christ, Marcus Josephus,

wow what an excellent point you make regarding the great benefits that a homily would have been to the Catholics who only come to Mass at certain times of the year. You are absolutely right that in lieu of the puppet show a homily would have been oh so beneficial. I am sorry they did a puppet show-I was quite shocked to be honest with you.

I always stand in amazement when our church fills up to a standing room only church during Easter and Christmas. My heart is filledl with joy at the sight of all of our Catholic brothers and sisters attending Mass yet also sorrow in knowing our church will be half full the remainder of the year. I always have that same feeling of "if only our church would be filled like this every Sunday!" I enjoyed your post and I thank you for your offering of the Mass for us here at Gloria tv., what an incredible brotherly gesture you have made. I truly thank you for this, I was incredibly touched.

May our Blessed Mother keep you and yours under Her care and Love always,
your sister in Christ,
Maria :)

Thank you Father. My parish did a Puppet Show in place of the Homily for Christmas Eve Mass. Groan.

All those Christmas/Easter* Catholics would have received so much more from a rushed licit Mass with a mediocre sermon. What they received was Trivialism of the Trancendant. Very Sad. Very Bad.

My Wife and I were in Lancaster County, PA. After the clip-clop of Amish horses pulling their buggys woke us on Sunday Morning we attended a Tridentine mass at the Parish of St. Anthony of Padua in down town Lancaster. if you are anywhere close it is well worth the trip.

Sung High Mass with a competant choir who led a good sized congregation in the responses. A young priest doing the Mass REVERENTLY with heart. The difference was striking.

I offerd that Mass for all members of Gloria.tv

PAX.

* in the Archdioces of Philadelphia we have a variation onf Christmas and Easter Catholics. We have Ash Wednesday Catholics. There are some who only come on Christmas, Easter and Ash Wednesday, others only on Ash Wednesday (and sometimes Stations of the Cross on Lenten Fridays, go figure?). Strange tradition, but if you could only give 3 messages a year to these souls would you give them a puppet show?

I just goraned today, a person who worked for a church called the sacred vessels dishes. I groaned, and said explained how they are not, she discussed how a priest had celebrated a rite that was the way the early Eucharists were celebrated. I asked her how does he know what it looked like, a little hypolytus, or Justin Martyr, then I explained antiquarianism to her. It is not a normal meal, for in what other meal does your God allow you to become like Him by grace. Theosis. The way we celebrate and what we uses teaches what we believe.

Dear Father,

Thank you so much for this video. We do get distracted and do not recognize the beauty and the miracles taking place before our very eyes. We should always remember that the real purpose of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is to be able to receive Our Lord and God in the Holy Eucharist...A beautiful collision of the Infinite God coming down to His creation, the finite man. Our eyes should constantly be on His gaze. And as we consume Him, He consumes us with His wonderful Love...Love that is limitless. So much so, that we become living Carmels and Our Lord and Master dwells within. We should surrender ourselves completely and be consumed by His Love and Mercy. Thank you again Father and God bless you and your ministry.

your obedient servant in Mary, Queen of the Eucharist,

Elisha

Very well said, that is absolutely true. So many people are ready to complain or to point out things that should be done or not be done and they lose complete sight of what really matters...the Eucharist...you should take all the time to take proper care of Him and show our Savior the reverence He deserves. I'll never understand the uproar in specific minor things that are done in Mass that are not to the liking of others (and mostly based on our own personal preference) yet we forget we are there to worship, adore, and love our Lord and to receive Him into our hearts and souls. I am always focused on Him when I go to Mass-Nothing else matters, this was great! I really enjoyed this and definitely something to be brought to light.

Peace be with you always,
Maria