We are all very little at the foot of the Cross, and yet what the world judges to be a "barrier" to participation is in fact precisely what we need nowadays to draw close to the throne of saving grace.

The Timeless Draw Of The Traditional Latin Mass.

By Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP.

I recently read an article on the influence that current media has on young people. The import of the article was that most young people today have their eyes (and attention) divided at any given moment among their Playstation, their cell phone, and the Internet. Hence the phenomenon amongst young people today - which any longtime teacher can testify to - of the "shrinking span of attention". So what has common perception to do with the Traditional Rite of holy Mass?

Well, when Pope Benedict XVI, in Summorum Pontificum, informed the Catholic world that the Traditional Latin Mass had not in fact been banned after the last ecumenical council and that he wanted that form of Mass to become a common experience in ALL catholic churches, he also mentioned that his was not an exercise in religious nostalgia, but a sign of living growth in the Church - precisely because the "Latin Mass movement" had become a movement of the young. The question, then is: Why are young people drawn in such numbers to the Traditional Latin Mass?

One would have imagined that, with the attested shorter attention span, a Mass that is (a) in Latin, (b) celebrated with "the priest's back to the people," and (c) largely celebrated amidst long periods of silent prayer, would have been exactly what young people would NOT want. But to conclude thus would only be repeating a common error of out time - to think that the Mass must "appeal" to us, and if it doesn't, then we must reshape it so that it will do so.

But what IS the Mass? It is the re-presentation upon the altar, in an unbloody manner, of the Sacrifice of Calvary. This sacrifice of Christ does not need to be made "relevant" to us - we need to conform ourselves to it! And it is a testimony to the truth of this principle that God is leading young people, in large numbers, to the Mass that makes Sacrifice clearly and specifically present.

The Mass, as celebrated since ancient times in the Catholic Church, draws us out of our everyday experience. The Fathers of the Church used to say that it is not even so much that at the Consecration Our Lord comes down upon the altar as that he draws us upwards to the realm where He dwells in everlasting glory. There, at Mass, we all - young and old - are the ones about whom Our Lord said, "Let the little ones come to me and do not hinder them." (Mk 10:14) We are all very little at the foot of the Cross, and yet what the world judges to be a "barrier" to participation is in fact precisely what we need nowadays to draw close to the throne of saving grace. 

A sacramental building??? huh???

An other article. This one written by our wise and humble pastor. :) My favorite article on the subject thus far. I never thought about the church building being sacramental! Mind blown! :)

Church Architecture
By FR. James Jackson, FSSP.

From the earliest days, the Church has been zealous for the building in which God is worshipped, and the reason is intimately connected with the liturgy. For we need eyes to see God as both the Fountain of beauty in this life and the Fountain of holiness in the next.

Unfortunately, cultivating such vision is difficult in our times, when most of what our world is producing is surpassingly uninspiring and even ugly, and this banality has extended even to Church architecture. In contrast to this modern tendency, we have Beseleel and Ooliab, the architects of the first tabernacle, who were "filled with the spirit of God in wisdom, and in understanding, and n knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver and in brass, and in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber." (ex. 31:3-5) When the first tabernacle was built, there was no effort to pander to the whims of the architect's profession or of a church committee!

Sacramentality is the feature that distinguishes traditional ecclesiastical architecture from the modernist architecture of our times. By the outward and visible form is signified something inward and spiritual. Mere reality is not sufficient, for what can be more real than a pyramid - and less Christian? In a parallel universe, many would desire that the words of our Lord to be plain, unadorned and simple. But the words of Christ were in fact parabolic, figurative, descriptive, and allegorical; just so the church building ought to imitate her Master.

Church architecture should thus itself be sacramental, a material fabric which figures the purpose for which it was designed. The distinction between a contemporary church (which might look like a mall or some prop from Star Wars) and the traditional church is not found simply in an association of ideas, correctness of detail, mechanical construction, or in quaintness, but in sacramentality. Remember the definition of a sacrament from the catechism: "A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give santifying grace." So the church building should be sacramental, an outward sign of what is really happening inside it, and above all what should be happening in the soul.

Fumbling through the '62: "Sacred Music in the Life of the Parish."

Another article that I talked about in the last '62 post. :)

La LaALaLaALalalalalaaaaaaaa!!! :)

Hope you enjoy! :)

"Sacred Music In The Life Of The Parish" 
By Fr. Gerard Saguto, FSSP.

Music has played a significant role in humanity throughout history. From our earliest years, we were soothed by lullabies, the "alphabet song" taught us our ABC's and "Do, RE, Mi" helped us learn to sing. Music actively affects our ability to work, relax, study, or pray-for better or worse. It is intuitively clear that music is formative and thus has an effect upon our souls: It either builds virtue or promotes vice, based on the type and amount that is listened to. 

The selection of music used in sacred worship is therefore of great importance because it will profoundly influence our perception of sacred and of morality. Accordingly, music accompanying befitting worship of God must convey holiness, mystery, and goodness. This precept serves to ensure, safeguard, and transmit a proper understanding of God, so we may render what is due to Him. Man owes to God that which is highest and most beautiful, and so the rites and music employed in public worship must reflect this dignity.

As the majority of our formal worship of GOd takes place at a parish level, it is of great importance that the parish promote the sacred tradition of the Church's liturgical music. Such promotion includes Gregorian chant, polyphony, hymnody, and simpler compositions that bear resemblance to these. The parish today must also be a bright beacon of light, a sign of contraction and a haven for hungry souls in an ever-secularizing world. This mission is carried out first and foremost by the outward expression of its worship of God. For reason, the Missa Solemnis or Missa Cantata should have a prominent and regular place in the liturgical schedule of the parish. The regularity of these more solemn forms of worship will make sacred music normative for the faithful, and whatever is normative becomes formative.

The realization of this ideal requires dedication and hard work, both for the choir and for the pastor. A pastor's active support of sacred music is indispensable towards the presence of good music in the parish for years to come. The sacred music of the Church truly is a treasury and an instrument to holiness: Let us pray for its universal restoration in our churches. 

Fumbling through the '62: "The Full Catholic Life of an Apostolate."

So life has been beyond crazy and while the hubby and I have had a million and one things that we can write on and would like to write on we have yet to finish one and post it. Until that free time comes (**Cross your fingers** jaja) I am going to try to post some articles that where published in a catholic magazine that we came across on the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter of which our parish is apart of. One of the articles I was surprised to see was written by our extremely humble and wise priest here... surprise, surprise he didn't tell anyone. jaja.

Anywhooo, here is one of the articles. I hope you read it with an open and prayerful heart. :)

(my additional comments are in red. Feel free to skip over them. jaja. :P )

The Full Catholic Life of an Apostolate. 

By Fr. Paul Jared McCambridge, FSSP

Among those of all ages and walks of life who choose to attend the Traditional Latin Mass, you will find some that always know and loved it. Some found it as a refuge from liturgical abuse they had experienced(X marks the spot for this girl), while still others sought it out as being an inherently beautiful and fitting form of worship (the reason I personally continue to attend).

Regardless, “traditional Catholicism” means far more than simply assisting at Mass in the ancient rite. Those who arrive at the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter often remark that they were attracted to the “full parish life” in our apostolates. While liturgy and the sacraments come foremost (<-- Beautifully awesome to see this lived out in a parish! Its not about the million and one groups that seems to be offered at many parishes which are great and all, but rather is about Christ Himself humbling Himself to be present in the Eucharist that should be the center of the parish life. All other things should permeate from that.), there is also a great deal more.

These Catholics want real distinction between “the world” and the environment in which they and their families lives. They seek to be among Catholics who are one, not just in belief, but in the way they manifest the Faith and live it daily. The traditional Liturgy provides a welcome antidote to the imagery and noise of modern media and “pop” culture through the ordered dignity of the ceremonies, the interplay of sacred music and silence, and the profundity of the prayers themselves. These foster the love of true beauty in art, music, and literature- and ultimately, the desire for all one’s life to be consistent with it.

In a culture contemptuous of the wisdom of the past, the apostolate provides a profound love and reverence for the Tradition of Faith. It deepens ones faith and spirituality by offering retreats and days of recollection, providing the fertile ground for one’s faith to grow, along with the hope and love of God. Members seeking to be ever more closely integrated into the Mystical Body of Christ form strong friendships within the community upon the solid foundation they hold in common.

While the modern world rejects the sanctity of human life and the ideas of marriage and the family as God created them, an apostolate of the Fraternity attracts those who cherish life and the traditional family. The presence of many large families within them testifies to this. The doctrinal and substantive preaching they hear from well-formed priest helps their families flourish in knowledge and love of God. (Check. I have heard some of the best homilies in my life at this parish. no fluff. no shying away from important things. Each homily you get catechized. Nothing watered down. Each homily building you closer and closer to a fuller knowledge of Christ and the faith of His church and then calling you out to put that faith into action. By the time it is time to receive our Lord I feel like I am fighting back tears with the love and awe that has been laid in my lap. Okay I'm ranting...sorryyy. :P)

However the initial attraction to the Traditional Latin Mass comes about, those who experience it regularly come to desire its spirituality to permeate their lives. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter seeks to facilitate this integrity through its apostolates.