On Devotion to St. Joseph

Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph. If some of our friends across the Tiber find devotion to Mary appalling and offensive, they find devotion to St. Joseph maybe not as offensive, but even stranger. How do we Catholics venerate a man we “know” so little about? We never once hear him speak in the Scriptures. He leaves no great prayers such as the Canticle of Zechariah or Mary’s Magnificat. Indeed, once the “action” in Christ’s life begins, Joseph is absent, and assumed dead.

I would counter that while there is little knowledge of the events of Joseph’s life, there is a lot of information we can glean from his character. The biblical evidence is overflowing with details of the kind of man Joseph was, and this information is incredibly relevant for Catholics today, especially men. As centuries passed, the Church started to come to an even greater understanding of these facts which have been plain to see, having “once for all been delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3)  Far from being unhealthy, the devotion to St. Joseph calls us to emulate those aspects of his character.

What are these aspects? Let us first consider how the Scriptures introduce Joseph. St. Matthew’s Gospel tells us:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit: and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins…..” When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the lord commanded him, he took his wife…

There has been great debate throughout history how old Joseph was. I will avoid this debate, and only point out that his age, while an interesting historical discussion, would not change the “facts on the ground” as it were. While Protestants might find the perpetual virginity of Mary unheard of, such was not unheard of in Israel at the time. Women took vows of virginity, even becoming married. (Jewish exegetes understood the “afflicting” of Numbers 30:14 to be able to refer to total abstinence in marriage.)

The scriptures first describe Joseph as “a just man.” Let us ponder that statement. Joseph, as one who was to be Mary’s wife, could have had several emotions and thoughts upon learning about Mary’s pregnancy. He could have viewed it as a sign of infidelity, since she had been with another man before marriage. (And even being engaged to him while doing this!) He could have viewed her vow of virginity worthless. He could have worried about the harm done to his own person and reputation. The child could be viewed as his, and Joseph would have been engaged in fornication, something they could both die for.

We hear instead that Joseph resolved to put her away quietly. He wanted to deal with this in private, and make sure that Mary was not shamed in the process. Even when he may have had power to exercise by right (Joseph could have exposed her and shamed her in public, and nobody could have faulted him given the knowledge of the facts at the time) but yet he chose to be merciful. He exemplified the statement of St. Paul “all things are lawful, but not all are expedient.” (1st Cor 6:12)

While patiently considering his options, we find in Joseph the trait of obedience. After he receives word from God to take Mary as his wife (that indeed what was happening was God’s design) Joseph does so without asking any questions. Had he resolved all the internal questions he had? It is impossible to say. What we do know is that even if such conflicts existed, he was willing to trust in God. He readily subjected himself to God, even knowing the risk this posed.

We know elsewhere from Scripture that Joseph was known as a carpenter, and that he used his trade to support a young Jesus. If we remember from Genesis, part of the curse inflicted upon Adam was that of back-breaking toil. Yet Joseph takes this curse and turns it into a blessing. He restores the original purpose of “work.” Adam was given charge by God to till the Garden of Eden. One could say that Adam was meant to uphold God’s creation. When he was working, he was working in God’s service. Joseph uses every ounce of work he does to see to it that Jesus is cared for and loved.

This patience and obedience are reiterated when Joseph flees to Egypt to protect the child. We know that Joseph was of the House of David. His ancestors were the great kings of Israel, though they had long lost their power and mandate to rule. With his flight to Egypt, a man who was born into a royal household must abandon everything of his homeland and hide in a strange country. He had to risk giving up his income with his job. He placed himself and his entire family at great personal risk traveling through a dangerous land. Yet we never see him questioning the command from God. He has a job to do. He must protect Jesus with his own life if need be. His very purpose in life is to raise the boy in the ways of the Lord. His other purpose is to protect his wife at all costs. His needs and desires are a distant third. The proclamation of St. John the Baptist could also be applied here:  He must increase, I must decrease.  (John 3:30)

I believe there are also a few speculative reasons we have such a devotion to St. Joseph. I say speculative because the information is far less available, but nonetheless true. In Joseph’s situation, we find our own. We are joined to Christ “not by flesh, or by the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)  Christ and Mary were united in the way that a child takes physical traits and characteristics from their parent. Joseph was united to Christ solely by the will of God. Likewise, we Christians are joined to Christ solely through grace. We could never approach Christ and say “See what I have done, by rights I deserve to be counted amongst your family!”

Through Joseph we can best fulfill the commands of Holy Scripture. We are called to give everything we have to Christ as a “spiritual sacrifice.” (Romans 12:1) St. Joseph did this in offering everything in dedication to the child he was placed over. An additional command comes from the Blessed Virgin, when she prophecies that “from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48)

What better way to show her honor than by imitating the man who was her husband? Who knows how to honor a woman better than her spouse? In the Wisdom literature, Wisdom was presented as a woman for precisely this reason. The authors understand (through the Inspiration of the Spirit) that a man will sacrifice everything for a great woman, and will use everything in his service to honor her. Do we think that Joseph did any less to his wife? What is the highest praise that you pay towards a godly woman? You speak highly of her husband. As Leo XIII rightly points out in Quamquam Pluries, devotion to St. Joseph is certainly one of the best ways to bless Our Lady (outside of adoration towards her Son, the Savior of the human race.)

This is why we invoke St. Joseph as the “Patron of the Universal Church.” No human outside of Jesus and Mary understood the plight of the people of God better. And no male outside of Jesus can better show us how to properly honor the Father in Heaven in obedience to His divine command regarding His Son and the Blessed Virgin.  Like the child Jesus, may we always place ourselves under the patronage and protection of the "just man."

Sancte Ioseph, ora pro nobis!


For further reading on St. Joseph, one may read John Paul II's Redemptoris Custos and the masterful work of Leo XIII, Quamquam Pluries

The Extraordinary Form: Dominus Vobiscum

The topic which I am covering today I believe is never really given much thought to the average Catholic attending Mass.  Sadly, many abuses have crept in throughout the liturgical landscape today when used outside of the Extraordinary Form.  Yet I submit even those Catholics who follow rubrics (of whichever rite) faithfully, they do not give much thought to this statement.

At several points during the Mass, the priest kisses the altar and then turns to face the people.  He then announces the words Dominus vobiscum or The Lord be with you.  The congregation replies Et cum spiritu tuo which means And with thy spirit.  There are I believe several misunderstandings here regarding this.

For some, they believe that this is a request, a prayer.  This leads to the rather silly moment in many celebrations of the Ordinary Form when the priest, standing in his typical posture, extends his hands while saying this phrase.  Some people in turn, open their hands and extend their arms towards the priest when saying it back.  They act as if somehow they are able to impart the blessing on the priest, making the priest just another person in the congregation, albeit one with a flashier wardrobe.

This prayer is not so much a request/imparting of blessing as it is a reminder.  The Scriptural basis for this prayer brings this to light.  In the book of Ruth, Boaz salutes the harvesters by proclaiming "The Lord be with you!"  The harvesters reply "The Lord Bless you!"  We should call to mind during this prayer that we are likewise harvesters in the farm that is Earth.  We are the laborers engaged in the work of God.

Yet in order for this salutation to be of any benefit to us, we must indeed be engaging in the work of God.  In the Second Book of the Chronicles, the prophet Azariah announces to the King:

Hear me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The LORD is with you when you are with him, and if you seek him he will be present to you; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you

The call is a reminder of the union that we are all called to in Christ with the Father, and that is obligatory as a Christian.

We know that this comes through Christ by the actions of the priest.  Before giving this exhortation, he kisses the altar.  The first altars of the Mass were the tombs of the martyrs.  They offered the Sacrifice on these tombs connecting their sacrifice with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, upon which all of our offerings depend upon for any efficacy.  The altar is also intimately connected with the Cross, as that was Christ's altar. 

So the priest, when kissing the altar, pronounces what I am about do do I do only through the power of the Cross.  To all the congregation, let us remember the Lord is with us when we follow Him.  Inspired by this confidence, let us unite ourselves to the Cross.  This exhortation occurs right before the Collect.  The Collect is the first audible prayer the priest pronounces.  It is pronounced right before the Gospel, calling us to an intimate union with Christ who is now speaking to us through the Holy Scriptures.  It is said before the Offertory, as we unite ourselves to the Cross in preparation for Calvary being made present to us.  It is said before the Our Father, as we call to mind the perfect union with God that this prayer signifies.  It is said after we receive our Lord in Holy Communion, that the unity which we desire may always be present in us.  Finally, it is said as we depart from the Mass, a reminder that once outside the building of wood and stone, we must always remain united to Christ.

In these four simple words is also a reaffirmation of everything we have discussed up until now.  By our mere attendance at Mass, we are choosing to serve God over the world.  Yet such service is pointless unless done in union with Christ.

The Extraordinary Form: The Kyrie and Gloria

What we cover today is one of the oldest aspects of any liturgy. After reciting the Introit, the priest returns to the center of the altar, and says the Kyrie: a triple repetition of the phrase Kyrie Eleison, followed by triple repetitions of Christe Eleison, then another Kyrie. Translated, it is the statements Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy, Lord have Mercy. In a symbolism of the Holy Trinity, all three persons are addressed three times.


Many will say that this is an imploring of the Trinity for the forgiveness of sins. While true in a certain sense, a deeper meaning is missed. In the Confiteor, we asked for the forgiving of our sins and everlasting life. To limit this simply to asking for forgiveness would be a pointless repetition. To better understand the real importance of the plea, a little bit of background is needed.

In the early days of Christianity and the liturgy, the dominating cultural influence was the Roman Empire. The Empire was led by Caesar. As the Empire grew and strengthened, Caesar started taking on quasi-divine (in the case of Julius Caesar) to divine attributes even during their life. The very honorific of Augustus implied divinity. As the cult surrounding the Emperor grew (especially in the Eastern parts of the Empire), people began to declare “Caesar Kyros!”, or Caesar is Lord. The Kyrie became an imploring for Caesar’s favor towards the person making it.

As we have seen in earlier parts of our discussion, the beginning of the Mass has a very strong structure between it: unlike the nations, we have chosen God to rule over our lives and hearts. I submit it is this context in which the Kyrie is best understood. Like the world, we implore whom we believe to be our Deity for favor. Yet we explicitly invoke Christ as the Lord and King of creation. In addition to being forgiven of our sins, we ask that Christ’s favor fall upon us. To have the favor of the God and King of creation is a great blessing indeed.

As a confidence of the reception of that favor, the priest then intones the Gloria. During a High Mass, he chants”Gloria in Excelsis Deo.” After receiving God’s favor, it is only fitting that we acknowledge this fact by giving him that glory. His favor does not rest on us through our own merits. If we could accomplish this by our own merits, there would be no reason to implore his favor. There would be no need of even coming to Mass if we could do everything on our own merits.

Once the Gloria is intoned, the statement et in terra pax homnibus, bonae voluntatis is used. Modern translations have rendered this “and peace to his people on earth”, which can barely even be called a transliteration. It is more a simple imagination. The actual text implies far more.

The Latin could be roughly translated as “and on earth peace be to men of good will.” Note well what is said there. In order to receive God’s favor, one must be of good will. A baptized Christian, by virtue of his baptism, is one of “God’s people.” Yet we know that God does not just grant his favor to anybody. You must be properly disposed to receive that favor. You cannot claim God’s favor and live a life of sin. Keeping with the overall flow of the Mass, we can only be of “good will” if we recognize our dependence on God, and choose to serve Him. To all who proclaim Christe Eleison with a sincere heart and a desire to serve God, He will grant them His favor. We say it aloud as proof of that claim. Anyone can claim to wish to serve God privately. The liturgy demands that such a declaration occur in public.

Filled with this knowledge, let us always be of that good will.

The Extraordinary Form: Why Incense?

What I am covering today is something that sadly many will not get to see when they attend the Extraordinary Form. This is the inclusion of incense into the Mass, and the various prayers assorted with it. As a result, I will be somewhat jumping around throughout the liturgy for this piece.


Many mock incense as part of the empty “smells and bells” of the Catholic faith: a religion so focused on externals, they have forgotten the deeply internal relationship the soul is called to have with God. With this line of thought, those making this claim have introduced a separation which is central in our faulty understanding of the liturgy.

In short, it separates the liturgy from the Incarnation. When incense is first used in the Mass, the priest prays Be blessed by Him in whose honour thou art burnt. The Mass is not just a worship involving the mind, or even just of the person. All of creation is offered in the service of God, since He created everything. This was the purpose of the Incarnation. Through Christ becoming man, He would draw all that was created back to the Father. Man was given dominion over the created order, and inevitably used that created order for the worship of himself instead of God. This prayer at the Mass is a reversal of this trend. To worship with the mind alone is not sufficient. We worship with our mind, soul, and body, and all that they create.

At this point, the incense, blessed by God, consecrates that which is holy to God. The original meaning of “holy” is that which is set apart, dedicated to one sole purpose. During Mass, we see the altar, the Gospel, and even ourselves incensed. It is a reminder of our original calling in this world (to know, love, and worship God) and that we are called to that original calling above all else.

The offering of incense also carries numerous other symbolic overtones. When the incense is burned, the smoke rises towards the heavens. In the Old Testament, the Psalmist prays that his prayer may be directed as “incense in Thy sight.” The Apocalypse of St. John tells us that in heaven, the incense rising to God is the prayer of the Saints. We are meant to follow that incense in elevating our minds above the things which are passing, and towards that which is eternal.

The mass also treats incense as part of an exchange. When incense is used during the Offertory, the priest says:

May this incense, which Thou has blessed, O Lord, ascend to Thee, and may Thy mercy descend upon us.

The offering of incense is ultimately a sign of confidence. When we offer everything we have to God, holding nothing back, He will not withhold His mercy. He will grant all that we need and desire when we fulfill the purpose for which we were originally created.

Finally, the flame that burns the incense is compared to God’s love:

May the Lord enkindle within us the fire of His love, and the flame of everlasting charity. Amen.

Here we are reminded of the cleansing power of God. The writer of the Hebrews refers to God as a “consuming fire.” The flame which burns the incense directs what is left of it (the smell) towards heaven. The consuming fire of God’s love burns away the impurities of our souls, and raises us to Heaven, our true home.

As one can see, far from creating a barrier to the internal relationship with God, the use of such things as incense is a powerful reminder of that calling. In the Mass, the Church uses all of creation and what it represents not only in God’s service, but in a powerful sign that directs us to God. It should then be no surprise that our current Pope once complained that the majority of Catholics “worship themselves” instead of Christ at Mass. In many of these Churches, they have done away with the “smells and bells.”

Like the smoke which rises, may we always be focused on our eternal calling and home.

The Difficulties of "The Apologetic Mindset"

In the January issue of First Things, David Mills writes about the issue of apologetics. What he said has so far triggered quite a bit of discussion. He states the following:

I think Mark is right about this. Culture precedes apologetics—or maybe it would be more accurate to say apologetics only matters for the believer when it leads him to a greater comfort with or confidence in the culture that has formed and continues to form him, freeing him from doubts so that the culture can mold him more deeply. (Critical reflection on that culture and argument is the job of theology, and theology may, of course, suggest doubts. It’s complicated, as they say in movies.)

Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees might apply to many of us, cut rate Gnostics that we are, who assume—partly, perhaps, because we like to argue and think we’re good at it—that knowledge and particularly success in argument is the essence of the Faith. We could easily be found praying “Lord, I thank you that I am not like that poor guy over there with his holy cards, who wouldn’t know what to say to Richard Dawkins,” when he is having a lively and intimate conversation with Our Lord, His Mother, and several saints with whom we are not yet on speaking terms.

Pride goes before a fall, as Proverbs notes. Accepting an argument is not conviction, even when you think the argument final and conclusive. You may change your life or your life may be changed and suddenly the argument doesn’t seem so final and conclusive any more. We can all think of obvious cases when someone made a moral choice, usually sexual, that led him to reject beliefs he had believed with all his heart and mind, and should assume that we might be equally affected by choices more subtle and harder to see. That you can defend a doctrine now and win does not mean you will believe it tomorrow.

Anyone who has read my works over the years has known I have talked about a similar problem. I’m grateful to see this getting a far wider exposure. I’d like to return to this theme today.

I have never been an “anti-apologist.” I think the apologetics movement within Catholicism in the last 35 years is one of the most important trends in the Church in the 20th century. The apologetics movement has provided a valuable frontline defense against those who seek to attack the Church. St. Peter tells us that we must be able to give a reason for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15), and the apologetics movement is just one way of doing this.

That being said, there are some difficulties. Many Catholic apologists in this age of social networking and the blogosphere have long ago stopped writing about actual apologetics. They feel their expertise in apologetics (an expertise earned) makes them relevant on various other matters as well, some of which aren’t even remotely religious. (One could read Mark Shea’s rants on foreign affairs and “torture” and one realizes there’s really nothing pro or anti-Catholic about them, they are simply an attempt to use alleged Church teachings to mask his political beliefs.

This trend has proven quite disastrous when many of the apologists started wading into matters where Catholics of good will could take varying prudential stances. With a few notable exceptions, the apologetics movement had some of the harshest critics of those who were attached to the Latin Mass and various approaches to handling the faith. It wasn’t enough to accept Vatican II as a valid ecumenical council whose decrees are binding upon the faithful. It had to be “the highest form of thought the Church has ever had.” (To paraphrase Dave Armstrong in a dispute I had with him in the past.) To say that John Paul II did some good and some not so good things is indeed beyond the pale. If you don’t refer to him as “John Paul the Great”, it is evidence you are resisting the Holy Ghost. These are prudential matters that cannot be solved by the intellectual formulations of apologetics. Catholics of goodwill are free to take a variety of positions on these and countless other issues.

I think it goes without saying that many in the apologetics movement have well overstepped this boundary. Part of the problem is what I call the curse of “Career Catholicism.” For many of them, defending the faith is not just their vocation, but their occupation. They need to put food on the table through it for their families. The only problem with this is unless you are really good at what you do; you can only beat a dead horse so many times. If you’ve been writing apologetics at least once a week for 3 years, you’ve basically demonstrated all that is wrong with Protestantism. Yet your children still need to eat. So people start going into other areas they really have no business being in, but attempt to speak with the same level of authority. In the secular world, this is known as the mentality of “publish or perish.”

These issues, while problematic, can be easily managed. It simply requires a greater humility (never a bad thing) and knowing your limits. The problem I wish to outline next does real damage, and ties back into the point Mr. Mills made.

The mindset prominent amongst many apologists today is that of what I have derisively called “sola intellectua.” In this mindset, the Catholic Church is simply a proposition of intellectual formations. Provided one demonstrates an intellectual belief in a given doctrine or principle, that is the height of catholicity. This is obviously wrong. As Fulton Sheen famously said, “Catholics do not submit a dogma. They submit to a person, Jesus Christ.” The intellectualism problem infects all circles of Catholicism. One can see it particularly on display in the debates surrounding Christopher West. It is practically a belief of “sola fide” in Theology of the Body, and one will be cured from all the ills of this vale of tears.

This approach is in error because Jesus Christ engages more than just our intellects. Our reason and intellect are of great importance, but we cannot stop there. Jesus Christ engages us in every aspect of our life. Understanding the pedagogical mission of the Church might be great for a lecture or a thesis paper, but what does it tell you about living the everyday aspects of your faith? Not much.

These sorts of things have dropped to the wayside. Rather than placing apologetics against culture, we need to make sure that instead, the work of apologetics flows from the greater Catholic culture.

The Extraordinary Form: The Confiteor

After expressing our hope in the Lord to forgive and restore us, the priest begins the Confiteor, or public confession of sin. Why do we do this still at the foot of the altar? In saying this confession, there is a reminder that we are entering Sacred Ground to offer sacrifice for our sins. One should never approach such a duty on a whim. Rather, we need to be fully conscious of our sins.


What makes this different from your standard confessions is the audience. The priest confesses his sins before the entire heavenly host. He states:

I confess to Almighty God, to the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you, brethren [when the servers recite it back, father is used] that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, [here the priest strikes his breast three times] through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault

Sadly, most of these invocations have been removed in the liturgical reform. (An option remains to include the Blessed Virgin.) Why do we mention these individuals by name? Put simply, outside of God, they should be amongst the most important individuals in our lives. I would like to talk briefly about them.

With Mary and John the Baptist, we have the premier witnesses of covenants. Christ stated that in his time, there was no man born of a woman greater than John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:11, Luke 7:28) He was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, and was Christ’s herald. Through John the world learned the identity of Christ.

For the New Covenant, we mention God’s greatest creation in the Virgin Mary. Before the world was created, God had decreed that she would be the mother of God incarnate. Because of this role, she was preserved from the stain of sin during her conception. When she gave birth, her virginity remained, even during the moment of birth. She is the greatest advocate of the Church, her children. She demonstrated the way to fulfill the way of the Cross par excellence, for she remained at the foot of the Cross even until the end.

With St. Michael, we acknowledge his role as guardian of all Christians. The book of Daniel speaks at length of how St. Michael the Archangel is the one who defends the people of God. In the Apocalypse of St. John, it is St. Michael who wages war against the devil and casts him out of heaven. Yet he does nothing by his own power. Faced with the Devil, he only declared “The Lord rebuke you!”

Finally, we implore the intercession in particular of Sts. Peter and Paul. We implore their intercession because they were, in their particular ways, the two chiefs of the Apostles. St. Peter was the rock on which the Church was built, and St. Paul was the greatest of her early teachers and evangelists. Most importantly, they were the founders of the Church of Rome. The Gradual and Offertory for their feast day refers to them as ”principes super omnem terram”, princes over all the earth. If we belong to the Roman Rite, we belong to the specific Church they founded. If anything is to be done in our Church, it should be done in accordance with how they willed it.

Now there will be some who would get the false impression that by “confessing” our sins before these individuals, it is they who forgive sins alongside the Father. This however is a clear misunderstanding. For right after their witness is requested, the following appears:

Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and you brethren [or father] to pray for me to the Lord our God.

We see clearly from this text it is God who forgives our sins. We are simply asking that these chief witnesses of the Catholic Faith pray to God alongside us, interceding for us daily for that forgiveness granted by God. We ask John the Baptist to pray to the Lord he declared before the world for us, and remind us always of that confession of faith he made. We ask the Blessed amongst Women to pray for us with her powerful intercession before her Son, and most importantly that we always remember her command “do whatever he tells you.” We implore Saint Michael for his intercession and also to be led in God’s army by him as we ourselves wage in our own spiritual combat with the forces of darkness, as we wage against sin. We ask for Sts. Peter and Paul because of their special connection to us as Catholics of the Roman Rite, and that we not dishonor that Church they founded.

Let us never fail to seek the intercession of these most powerful witnesses of our faith.

 

The Extraordinary Form: The Altar of God

After signing themselves in the name of the Trinity, the priest and servers begin the Mass.  The Mass starts with the proclamation of Introibo ad Altare Dei.  I will go unto the altar of God.  The servers respond "To God that giveth joy to my youth."

In this short exchange one could see the entirety of salvation history.  We rejected the joy that God gives in the Garden of Eden.  In varying degrees, that joy is rejected any time we sin.  We prefer the "joy" we provide for ourselves (which can never truly satisfy) rather than what God willed for us.

Christ came to change this situation.  Through His sacrifice, that joy is once again given to humanity.  Yet like before, we can choose to reject it.  Contained in that statement is our own reversal of the devil's original offer to our first parents.  While the world seeks their own desires and needs, we seek God's mercy.

Imploring that mercy, we ask to be judged according to that mercy.  This is done by the priest and servers alternating responses in Psalm 42:

Judge me O God, and dinstiguish my cause from the nation that is not holy, deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.

For Thou art God, my strength:  why hast Thou cast me off?  and why do i go sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me?

Send forth Thy light and Thy truth:  they have conducted me and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles.

And I will go in to the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth.

To Thee o God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp; why art thou sad, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me?

Hope in God, for I will give praise to Him:  the salvation of my countenance and my God.

What is requested is the sanctifying of the Church, a sanctification in the classic sense of the term.  When something was sanctified, it was set apart.  While everything else had multiple uses and functions, that which was sanctified was meant for one purpose, and one purpose only.  The priest in saying this prayer is reminded of the fact that his very vocation was meant for the offering of the Eucharist.  The faithful are reminded of their own priestly nature by baptism where their job is to offer their very existence to the Father.

Due to sin, we will stray from that vocation from time to time.  Yet when that happens, we must always remember our job as Catholics:  to approach the altar of God.  The true altar is the Cross.  Sometimes sacrifice is offered on the altar.  Sometimes, the sacrifice of a contrite heart is offered as we approach the altar.  Other times, it is a sacrifice of thanksgiving that is presented to the altar for the priest to offer.  One way or another, our job is at the Holy Cross.

To remind us of our sinful nature and our refusal to be mastered by it, a verse from Psalm 123 is then recited:

Our help is in the name of the Lord
Who made heaven and earth

Only through God's help can we expect to perform the job that is our calling, our vocation.  Only through God can we receive true joy that comes about from fulfilling what we were created for.  We are a people of the Cross, and only the Cross.

The Extraordinary Form: The Sign of the Cross

During the 4th century, there was a Roman general by the name of Flavius Constantinus.  Like all powerful generals of his time, Constantinus had imperial ambitions.  Being one of the four rulers of the entire empire was not enough.  He desired to be sole Emperor.  As civil war (a very frequent occurrence in the Roman world) erupted, it is said this pagan general was visited in a dream by who he perceived to be a great Spirit.

That great Spirit identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth, and instructed Constantinus to have a new standard for his troops to march under.  Shaped in what they would perceive to be a Cross, the general was told "in this sign shall you conquer."  He complied with the vision and prepared for battle, the troops marching under this new sign.  Despite being outnumbered (some reports say that his foe had double his forces), his forces won a decisive victory.  Constantinus entered Rome and became known from that day forth in the history books as the Emperor Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, and one of the greatest Caesars Rome ever had.

We may never know the truth of what happened that day.  Yet this story is instructive, for it provides I believe the attitude we should have as we approach the altar at Mass when it begins.  For we mark ourselves with that same sign as Mass begins.

As the priest enters the sanctuary, he goes to the foot of the altar.  Before even ascending the steps, he marks himself with the sign of the cross saying the words: "In Nomine Partis, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.  Amen."  In English, we know them as "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  While Constantine may have done this with aspirations of victory in physical combat, the priest (and all faithful) mark ourselves with this sign as we enter spiritual warfare.  We know that through the Holy Cross, the Devil was conquered.  We remind both ourselves and him of that fact when we begin the Mass.  It is during the Mass this conquering is made present to the world.

Through this sign we also indicate whom the Mass is offered to.  The Mass, and all of our lives, is meant to be offered to the Holy Trinity.  Each distinctive person of the Trinity plays a particular role in the Mass.  By signing ourselves by their name, we should call to mind those roles.  We call to mind the Father who created us and desired union with us.  We call to mind the Son who redeemed us when we rejected that offer of union.  Finally, we call to mind the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us through the merits of Christ's sacrifice and leads us on the path towards that union.  In that pledge, our dedication to the Three in One is renewed.

The Extraordinary Form: Praying the Mass

Continuing in our series on the Extraordinary Form, I have attempted to outline several approaches that I feel are necessary for truly understanding the Mass.  A popular caricature of the Latin Mass is the priest speaking silently to himself while everyone just fumbles through their rosary beads during Mass.  That the faithful were at Mass could almost be viewed as irrelevant in such a scenario.

Like all caricatures, there is a hint of truth to them.  There are times when people will pray the Rosary during Mass in times past.  This is almost non-existent nowadays, but there is some benefit at times.  To associate with holy thoughts during the Sacrifice of Calvary is never a bad thing.  To meditate especially on the Sorrowful Mysteries during this event cannot be faulted.

Yet I believe Holy Mother Church calls us to something far greater.  This individual in such a scenario would be "praying at Mass."  St. Pius X called us to "pray the Mass."  He states:

The Holy Mass is a prayer itself, even the highest prayer that exists.  It is the Sacrifice, dedicated by our Redeemer at the Cross, and repeated every day on the Altar.  [1]  If you wish to hear mass as it should be heard, you must follow with eye, heart and mouth all that happens at the Altar.  Further, you must pray with the Priest the holy words said by him in the Name of Christ and which Christ says by him.  You have to associate your heart with the holy feelings which are contained in these words and in this manner you ought to follow all that happens at the Altar.  When acting in this way you have prayed Holy Mass.

We find in this quote the beauty of the Mass.  The Mass is not just the function of the priest and the servers at the altar.  If if is that way in our parish and in our hearts, we are doing it wrong.  Every person should be truly participating in the Mass.  How can one expect the grace of the Eucharist to be fruitful if received by a soul that is not fully involved with the Eucharistic sacrifice?

Many people have twisted this perfectly noble concept however.  To them, participation means "doing something" almost always in the vocal and emotive.  People are called to clap their hands, move around, play guitars and drums, and do just about everything in the mass as lay people except consecrate the hosts themselves. (Alas; The Holy Spirit places a check on our narcissism here thankfully.)  Yet this was not participation to St. Pius X.  For St. Pius, active participation implied an interior involvement manifested by the exterior.

Our souls can perceive the symbolism because our eyes follow the symbols.  Our souls perceive the wisdom of the words of the prayers because our intellects are focused on the words being said and desiring to learn from them.  The soul is lifted up to heaven through the smelling of the incense that rises to the heavens.  our souls taste the spiritual sweetness that is the Eucharist through the reception in our mouths.  And when these senses are not sufficient, faith elevates above them.

This is the beauty of the Catholic Mass.  The Church engages the entire body and soul of the Christian.  If our faith should teach us anything, it is that prayer occurs numerous ways.  Sometimes prayer involves saying words.  Sometimes pray involves doing actions.  And other times, prayer involves being completely passive and letting God do His work.  From this it follows is that it is the obligation of every Catholic to pray the prayer that is the Catholic Mass.  We may not be able to offer the Eucharist to the heavenly altar the way the priest can, but we can offer ourselves towards the Father, and the Cross purifies that offering of ours and makes it truly acceptable to God.

It is through this understanding that the motions of the Extraordinary Form make sense.  Whether we kneel, stand, sing, speak, stay silent, these are all part of the prayer the entire people of God offer to the Trinity that is the Catholic Mass.

The Extraordinary Form: Silence is Golden

When my girlfriend began attending the EF, she told me how the biggest "difference" for her was the inclusion of silence in the Mass.  With the Ordinary Form, silence depends on how reverent the Church is.  With the EF, that silence is built right into the Mass, and with very good reason.

"But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him" says the prophet Habakkuk.  Today we live in a world where this kind of thinking is anathema.  When you are in the presence of one you respect greatly, you defer to them.  You give them the honor that is due to them, and you would want nothing you do to detract from their rightful honor.  One could say that our current liturgical consciences are infected with this sickness.  We must always have some sort of noise going on at Mass, since we try to make ourselves the center of attention.  Before he became Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Ratzinger said the following about the way modern man approaches the Mass and the Eucharist:

How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words!

There are those who will have things running simply as "background noise" for to sit in silence is abhorrent.  It is in silence that we truly "hear" our souls.  With no distraction, we will end up reflecting on ourselves and on those things around us.  We will recognize the pointlessness of so much minutiae.  Hopefully, we learn to listen to God in place of these disturbances.  Elijah did not perceive the presence of God until he perceived the "stillness" in the air.

Finally, silence is an affirmation of our human weakness in the sight of God's majesty.  Nothing we understand can fully comprehend the mysteries of God.  As Alice Von Hildebrand said of such instances "silent adoration is the only response." 

That silence at Mass is most profound during the canon of the Mass, where almost all of it is prayed in silence by the priest.  Such silence is meant to be a signal for us that something very important is transpiring.  Up until this point, the liturgy could be called a work of man.  At the consecration of the Eucharist, it becomes a work of the Holy Spirit.  Only through the Holy Spirit does the change in substance take place.  I could walk up to the altar and say those words all I want, but it would still remain just bread.  Only in the priest (who receives the Holy Spirit in a very particular manner to offer said sacrifice) can the consecration occur.  Even then, it is not the priest who is saying these words, but Jesus Christ acting through the priest.  (The Latin refers to it as in persona Christi, in the person of Christ.)

What could we possibly add to this with our noise?