First Sunday in Advent

by

Fr. Leonard Goffine

The first Sunday in Advent is the first day of the Ecclesiastical Year, and the beginning of the holy season of Advent. The Church commences, on this day, to contemplate the coming of the Redeemer, and with the prophets to long for Him; during the entire season of Advent she unites her prayers with their sighs, in order to awaken in her children also the desire for the grace of the Redeemer; above all to move them to true penance for their sins, because these are the greatest obstacles in the path of that gracious Advent; therefore she prays at the Introit of the day's Mass:

To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed: neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on Thee shall be confounded. Show me, OLord, Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths. (Ps. 24)

Prayer of the Church

Raise up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy power, and come; that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins, and to be saved by Thy deliverance.

Epistle (Rom. 13:11-14)

Brethren, knowing the time, that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep: for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is past, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and strife; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Q. What does St. Paul teach us in this epistle?

A. After fully explaining the duties of a Christian life to the Romans who were converted mainly by St. Peter, he exhorts them to hesitate no longer to fulfil these duties, and he seeks to move their hearts by this time of grace, presented them by the Christian dispensation, and by the shortness of the time of grace.

Q. What is here meant by "sleep"?

A. The stupidity and blindness of the soul that, forgetting her God, is sunk in a lukewarm, effeminate, slothful and lustful life, which, when it is gone, leaves nothing more than a dream.

Q. Why does St. Paul say "salvation is nearer"?

A. He wishes to impress upon the Romans that they now have far greater hope of salvation than when they first became Christians, and that they should secure it by a pious life, because death, and the moment on which depended their salvation, or eternal reward, was drawing near. "What is our life," says St. Chrysostom, "other than a course, a dangerous course to death, through death to immortality?"

Q. What is the signification of day and night?

A. The night signifies the time before Christ, a night of darkness, of infidelity and of injustice; the day represents the present time, in which by the gospel Christ enlightens the whole world with the teachings of the true faith.

Q. What are "the works of darkness"?

A. All sins, and especially those which are committed in the dark, to shun the eye of God and man.

Q. What is the "armor of light"?

A. That faith, virtue and grace, the spiritual armor, with which we battle against our three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, and in which armor we should walk honestly before all men. A Christian who in baptism has renounced the devil and all his pomps, must not live in vice, but must put on Christ Jesus, that is, must by the imitation of Christ's virtues adorn his soul, as it were, with a beautiful garment. This text (verse 13) moved St. Augustine to fly from all works of uncleanness in which he had been involved, and to lead a pure life which he had before thought difficult.

Aspiration

Grant, O Lord, that we may rise by penance from the sleep of our sins, may walk in the light of Thy grace by the performance of good works, may put on Thee and adorn our souls with the imitation of Thy virtues. Amen.

Gospel (St. Luke 21:25-33)

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves, men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; and then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand. And He spoke to them a similitude: See the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

Q. Why does the Church cause the Gospel of the Last Judgment to be read on this day?

A. To move us to penance, and to induce us to prepare our souls for the coming of Christ, by placing the Last Judgment before our minds. Should not the thought of this terrible Judgment, when all good and all evil will be revealed, and accordingly be rewarded or punished in the presence of the whole world - should not this thought strengthen us in virtue?

Q. What signs will precede the Last Judgment?

A. The sun will be obscured, the stars will lose their light and disappear in the firmament, (Isai. 13:10) lightning and flames will surround the earth, and wither up every thing; the powers of heaven will be moved, the elements brought to confusion; the roaring of the sea with the howling of the winds and the beating of the storms will fill man with terror and dread. Such evil and distress will come upon the world, that man will wither away for fear, not knowing whither to turn. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, the Holy Cross, the terror of the sinners who have scorned it, the consolation of the just who have loved it (Matt. 24:30).

Q. Why will all this come to pass?

A. Because as the people love the creatures of God so inordinately, more than the Creator, and use them only to His dishonor, He will destroy them in this terrible manner, arming all creatures for vengeance against His enemies (Wisdom 5:8-24.) and showing by the manner of their destruction the evils which will fall upon all sinners. The darkness of the sun will indicate the darkness of hell; the blood-red moon, the anger and wrath of God; the disappearance and falling of the stars, will represent the fall of sinners into the abyss of hell and their disappearance from earth; and the madness of the elements, will exhibit the rage of the beasts of hell. Sinners will then vainly, and too late, repent that they have attached their hearts to things whichwill end so horribly, and that only increase their torments.

Q. Why does Christ nevertheless command: "Lift up your heads, for your redemption is at hand"? 

A. These words are spoken to the just who, as long as they live on earth, are like prisoners and exiles, but who at the Last Judgment will be taken body and soul into their long desired fatherland, the Kingdom of Heaven: into the freedom of the children of God. These will have reason to raise their heads, now bowed in mourning, and to rejoice.

Q. How will the Last Judgment commence?

A. By the command of God, the angels will sound the trumpets, summoning all men from the four parts of the earth to come to judgment (1 Thess. 4:15). Then, the bodies of the dead will unite with their souls, and be brought to the valley of Josaphat, and there placed, the just on the right, the wicked on the left (Matt. 25:33). Then the devils as well as the angels will appear; Christ Himself will be seen coming in a cloud, in such power and majesty that the sinners will be filled with terror. They will not dare to look at Him, and will cry to the mountains to fall upon them, and to the hills to cover them (Luke 23:30).

Q. How will the judgment be held?

A. The book of conscience, upon which all men are to be judged, and which closed with this life, will be opened. All good and evil thoughts, words, deeds and motives, even the most secret, known only to God, will then be as plainly revealed to the whole world as if they were written on each one's forehead; by these each one will be judged, and be eternally rewarded, or eternally punished. O God! If we must then give an account of every idle word (Matt. 12:36), how can we stand in the face of so many sinful words and actions?

Q. Why will God hold a universal public judgment?

A. Although immediately after death, a special private judgment of each soul takes place, God has ordained a public and universal judgment for the following reasons: first, that it may be clearly shown to all how just has been His private judgment, and also that the body which has been the instrument of sin or of virtue may share in the soul's punishment or reward; secondly, that the justice which they could by no means obtain in this life may be rendered before the whole world to the oppressed poor, and to persecuted innocence, and that the wicked who have abused the righteous, and yet have been considered honest and good, may be put to shame before all; thirdly, that the graces and means of salvation bestowed upon each, may be made known; fourthly, that the blessed providence of God which often permitted the righteous to suffer evil while the wicked prospered, may be vindicated, and it be shown on that day that His acts are acts of the greatest wisdom; fifthly, that the wicked may learn the goodness of God, not for their comfort or benefit, but for their greater sorrow, that they may see how He rewards even the slightest work performed for His love and honor; finally, that Christ may be exalted before the wicked on earth as before the good in heaven, and that the truth of His words may solemnly be made manifest.

Aspiration

Just art Thou, O God, and just are Thy judgments! Ah, penetrate my soul with holy fear of them, that I may be kept always in awe, and avoid sin. Would that I could say with the penitent St. Jerome: "Whether I eat or drink, or whatever I do, I seem to hear the awful sound of the trumpet in my ears: 'Arise ye dead, and come to judgment'."

Vocation

by

Archbishop Alban Goodier, S.J.

Seminarians of Holy Cross Seminary, Australia

We have all known many men do many striking and noteworthy things, attain the height of their ambition, win for themselves a great and even worthy name, and yet feel, when the goal had been reached, that somehow they had failed, somehow they were disappointed, somehow they had not done that with their lives for which their lives were made. On the other hand, none of us has ever known a man save a soul and regret it; none of us has ever known a man even work to save a soul, whether he succeeded in saving it or not, and think that his time has been misspent. I have known an eminent mathematician who said he would give all he knew to be able to preach a single sermon that would really reach down into a single soul; an eminent University professor who, the more the world of intellect smiled upon him, felt all the more that to serve a human soul was a greater honour; an eminent artist, who gloried in his art, not for the reputation that it brought him, nor even for the art's own sake, but solely because it had become in his hands a means of rescuing and lifting up the lives of others.

And surely these are not rare exceptions. Is there a man in all the world, with a mind that understands, and a heart that feels, and common sense to guide his judgment, but appreciates the good thing it is to keep another man from harm? Is there a man who has not a longing to do something good for someone else before he dies; nay, more, who does not know that if he can gain this, more than if he gains any other thing that he ambitions, then his life will find its satisfaction? We look on at men about us; sometimes we feel a sort of envy for those who prosper where we fail, and who rise to great heights before the eyes of others; when time is past, and history is written, and men are arranged in the order of their real worth, we do not esteem the rich men most, nor the prosperous, nor the powerful, nor the learned, but the men who have been true in themselves, and have given their lives for the service and saving of others. The rest come next, not in the order of their wealth, or their power, or their learning, but according to the use they have made of these accidental gifts of God for the good of their fellows. And as we judge of the past, so do we judge of the future. Wealth, and power, and learning may be important matters, but the man that will stoop to lift up his fellow man is greater than them all, he will be the force that will tell through all time and in every crisis, and will find for himself the satisfaction of a life wellspent which nothing else will give him.

There are few men but know this in their hearts. There are many who would like and would be willing, if they but knew how, to make it the ruling motive of their lives. They would give themselves to the service if they could; they would labour if they could; if they could they would be willing - indeed, who could be a man, and yet would be unwilling? - to go out and lift up a soul that was stifling in the mire. At least, there are few who at some time or another in their lives have not had this attraction. But some have thought it was not for them, and have suffered it to perish; their circumstances have been against them, they have had themselves to consider, they have had the cares of this world put upon them. Others have reckoned up the cost, and have found it a dear one to pay. Others, again, have had the dream and dwelt upon it; but with them it has never come to action; it has remained a dream and no more, and like other dreams, has gradually vanished beyond recall. They have forgotten the ideal in the fancied real; they have allowed the present interest, perhaps the present need, to blot out the greater thing that might have been. And they have satisfied themselves that this was enough; this is all for which they were made. They were not made to save the souls of others; that requires a special vocation; it is enough if they can save their own.

We do not say this in blame. Many, perhaps, would yet do something if they could; many would still answer if they heard the Master's obvious call. But the fact remains; meanwhile the work grows every day greater, and the recruits for the army of Our Lord stand still. Every day the world grows larger and more open; every day there are more souls offered to be saved; yet every day, by comparison at least, there seem to be fewer and fewer men at hand to save them. Never before in the history of the human race has the man who would work for the saving of others had such an opportunity as now. At home and abroad, in civilized and in savage countries, the whole earth is gaping, parched, and dry; and it cannot be moistened but by the sweat of the labourer's brow, if not by the blood from his veins. Not only is today the labourer's day; it is also the season for ingathering. The seed has been long sown, the blood that should water it has been long shed ; others have laboured for centuries in patience and failure, and now we have but to lift our eyes and see the fields white for the harvest. At home on every side the cry is heard: "Had we more priests we could stop the leakage. Had we more priests there are countless numbers of our countrymen ready to come in." From the mission-fields it is the same. "Send us priests," they appeal, "and we have souls without number for them to save." Never does a missioner come home but he is struck with the work that might be done if only the men would go out and do it. For the men are here, and the work is waiting there; would to God they could be brought together!

This is the appeal that rings out to all the World; but especially, here and now, should it echo throughout Great Britain. Once it was the day for Spain, once for Portugal, once for France; each in its turn has had the world beneath its feet. And they produced upon demand the men that were required, their Xaviers and their Clavers, their Silveiras and their Machados, their Jogues, and their Breboeufs - men of whom today their fellow countrymen are proud, as those who gave themselves to save their country's honour in the days of its prosperity, and luxury, and danger of disgrace. Now the wheel has turned and the day has come for us. Let us not stay to lament that Britain is not Catholic; let us not despair at the smallness of our numbers. Whether our numbers are great or small, each of us still is one; and if we are so few, why then, "The fewer men the greater share of honour."

That not mere number makes the difference, the past has clearly shown. It is not number, but willingness; not learning, but self-sacrifice; not even any special skill or training, but a strong desire to spread the Kingdom, a strong hand to put to the plough.

Shall we then be wanting? Fathers and mothers, I care not who you are, rich or poor, noble or lowly, do you really grudge to God one or even more of the sons whom He has given to you? Is it such a mean thing as some would seem to think it, that a son of theirs should hold their Maker in his hands, should plead for them and for others at the altar, should be called upon to tramp down a sodden street, or across a field, or through a jungle, to carry salvation to a single soul? All honour to the widowed mother of five sons, who gave them all to God, and has lived to see them die one by one, priest-victims on the mission-fields! Sons and daughters, is there any ambition that is nobler? When you come to die, would you regret it if there were souls in Heaven waiting there to thank you for the gift of life you had given them? Other treasures you must leave behind; this is yours, if you will have it, for all eternity. And even if this world's estimate be taken, what life will you find more worthy of, more suited to, the energy and talents that are yours? Luxury, I grant you, you will not have; but you shall have even here a hundredfold instead. Mere wealth will never be yours; but love is more than gold or silver, and it you shall have to overflowing. Honour from men you may or may not receive; instead, centuries hence, when this generation is forgotten, the work you have done will still live on, and somewhere someone will bless the unknown hand that was generous; that gave and did not count the cost; that toiled and did not seek for rest; that laboured and did not look for any reward, save only to know that it worked for the glory of God and the good of the souls of men.

Archbishop Lackner is a Heretic

His Grace Archbishop Franz Lackner 

I will keep this short, gentle reader, as there is surprisingly little to say. 

In an attempt to emphasize how important laypeople are to the Church, Archbishop Franz Lackner of Salzburg, in a forum discussion broadcast in Austrian television this Monday, crossed a theological line which cannot, by any Catholic under any circumstances, be crossed. He said, in all earnestness and in the presence of three brother bishops: "We have forgotten that Jesus was a layman."

It is a de fide dogma, which must be held with divine and Catholic faith, that Jesus Christ is High Priest. This most central dogma was revealed explicitly in Sacred Scripture and infallibly defined as such by the Magisterium of the Church. The statement that "Jesus was a layman" is an abomination, a heresy of the worst kind, striking at the very heart of the Faith. For, to deny the Priesthood of Christ leads inexorably to the denial that His offering on the Cross was a true and proper sacrifice.

To be perfectly frank, I don't care that the Archbishop was trying to stress the importance of laypeople. That such a contemptible idea could even form in his mind, let alone be uttered aloud, reveals that he is fundamentally malformed, yes, perverted, in his faith. And don't think for a moment that it was some slip of the tongue, later regretted by the Archbishop. No, the statement was made intentionally, and has even been featured on the official webpage of the Archdiocese of Salzburg.

The Unholy Fruits of Tolerance

Less than two months ago, I reported on a decision by the German Council of Ethics which recommended that current laws forbidding incest should be abolished. Highly educated (most members of the Council hold one or more Ph.D. degrees) and otherwise well-respected people actually sat around a table discussing and eventually approving the proposal that there is no moral concern regarding fathers who want to have sex with their own daughters. I honestly didn't think civilized people could sink any lower. Yet, the Germans appear uniquely gifted in plumbing the depths of human depravity.

The ARD (German: Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland; English: Consortium of public broadcasters in Germany) is the world's second largest public broadcaster (after the BBC) with interests in broadcast radio, television and online media and an annual budget of more than €6.3 billion Euros ($7.8 billion Dollars). In Germany, the ARD is the gold standard of serious news and entertainment broadcasting. As such, it is an obvious target for propagandists: if you can get your message on the ARD, it will be heard by millions.

Last week, the ARD produced a series of programs covering a particular hot-button social issue: tolerance. As part of its coverage, it broadcast a radio program which featured an interview with a 29 year-old man who is a practitioner of bestiality.

Yes, bestiality. With dogs.

Now, you may be thinking - in all Christian charity - that this must have been set in the context of individuals suffering from psychiatric illness, with the message that society needs to help such people. Oh, that it were so, gentle reader! The truth is that this was portrayed as a case of unfair discrimination. You see, since 2013, sex with animals has been illegal and punishable with a fine of up to €25,000 Euros ($31,000 Dollars) in Germany. Not that it was legally sanctioned before; it's just that no one had thought a law was necessary, given that sex with animals is so obviously perverted and contrary to natural law.

The message of the program was clear: forbidding bestiality is an act of intolerance, the great - and only - sin of the 21st century. Practitioners of bestiality even have their own action group, ZETA (Zoophile Engagement for Tolerance and Enlightenment) which promotes "an open zoophile-lifestyle."

And as if that wasn't already enough to turn your stomach: the interview was broadcast on a radio program directed specifically and explicitly towards Germany's youth.

As I noted in regards to Peter Maneau's equation of the Holy Family to those in "Irregular Unions," there is apparently no limit to the depths people will sink to promote the disorder of human sexuality - even if it means digging their way to hell. 

The Elevation

There are several elevations in the Latin Rite of Holy Mass, the two most notable being the regular elevation prior to Communion, which is accompanied by the words "Ecce Agnus Dei" ("Behold, the Lamb of God"), and the major elevation, which takes place immediately after the Consecration, at which the priest raises the Blessed Victim above his head for all to behold and adore. While the former elevation is quite ancient - it can be traced back at least to the time of the Apostolic Constitutions of the 4th century - the latter elevation is a relatively recent addition to Holy Mass, having begun sometime in the late 12th century and integrated into the official rubrics by Pope St. Pius V in the 16th century. It is this latter elevation which, in the Latin Rite, is generally known under the name "elevation." As such, the elevation is a prime example of authentic liturgical development.

It is worth noting that the development of the elevation as a standard part of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass contributed greatly to the practices of Eucharistic processions and Eucharistic adoration - both of which have become part and parcel of traditional Catholic spirituality. Elevation itself is now understood as such a theologically significant moment during the Sacrificial Mystery - it is mystically symbolic of Our Blessed Lord being raised upon the cross at Calvary - that the Mass, whether in the Extraordinary Traditional Latin or the Ordinary vernacular form, is practically unthinkable without it. It is a supremely Catholic practice, as it is a powerful expression of our faith in and devotion towards the Real Presence of Our Blessed Lord in the Sacrificial Victim. And who among the faithful has not, at least once, felt the urge to call out, as did our forefathers in the Faith, "Hold, sir priest! Hold!" so that we may savor the moment?

Below you will find images recording the continuity of the practice of elevation throughout the last 800 years. In many of them, you will notice that the altar server is holding either a tall candle or a staff topped with a candle. This is the so-called "elevation candle," which was used to illumine the Sacred Victim in poorly lit churches and chapels, making it more easily visible to the faithful. In many traditional parishes today, the elevation candle, placed on the Epistle side of the altar, is lit immediately after the Sanctus and extinguished either after the sanctuary door is closed or after the final oblutions. At High Mass, this function can be taken over by torch-bearers, who kneel at the foot of the altar, similar to the depictions below.

13th Century

14th Century

15th Century

16th Century

18th Century

20th Century

21st Century

The Celebration of the Holy Sacrifice: The Allegorical Interpretation

Fourth in a Series treating the Symbolism of the Traditional Form of Holy Mass

by

Fr. François Xavier Schouppe, S.J.

The celebration of the Holy Sacrifice viewed in its entirety, i.e., the order of the Mass or the series of the ceremonies taken conjointly, may be explained under a triple heading:

1. According to their fullest allegorical meaning.
2. According to the allegorical meaning conjoined to the Lord's Passion as it is wont to be proposed to the piety of the faithful.
3. According to the literal sense with which the moral sense is often identified or intimately connected.

[Note: Due to reasons of size, the original essay has been divided into two thematic parts, with the first, appearing below, treating the allegorical interpretation, and the second, to appear next week, treating the literal and moral interpretation of Holy Mass.]

The Faithful Catholic Experience of Holy Mass

The Full Allegorical Meaning of Holy Mass

Speaking in the full allegorical sense, the Mass may be divided into three parts. The first part, which is from the beginning to the offertory, represents the history of the world, from the creation down to the beginning of the Passion of Christ. The second part, which is from the offertory to the Communion inclusively, represents the spectacle of the Passion. The third part, which is from the Antiphon of the Communion to the last Gospel, symbolizes the history of Christ and of the world, even its future, to the end of time.

The priest, entering the sanctuary and approaching the altar, represents the creation of the first man and woman coming from the hand of God, and also the grandeur of their primeval state. When the priest comes down to the foot of the altar and makes the confession of sin, we are reminded of the fall of Adam and human race and, at the same time, the promise of pardon given through the hope of the future Redeemer. The Introit and Kyrie call to mind the language of the Patriarchs and prophets announcing the coming of the Messias and supplicating Him sighs. The Gloria or Angelical Hymn indicates the advent of Christ, the promised Messias, and the joy which He brought into the world by His birth. The Collects remind us of the private life, the labors and the prayers of Christ. The Epistle, Gospel and Credo remind us of the public life of Christ and His doctrine, which He taught us by the mouth of the prophets and Apostles as, also, by His own divine lips, and by the voice of the Church, which He instituted.

The Offertory or the Antiphon of the Offertory is the preamble of the commencement of Christ's passion, which He began by His agony and prayer in the garden of Olives. When the chalice is uncovered and the oblation of the Host and chalice is made, which action is the beginning of the sacrifice, we recall to mind how the Saviour of the world fell into the sacrilegious hands of His enemies, and the numerous and varied tortures to which they subjected Him at the very beginning of His immolation and death. The priest washes his fingers, and thereby represents Pilate who washed his hands in the presence of the people. When the orate fratres - pray brethren is said by the priest, we recall the words of Pilate, who said: Ecce homo - behold the man. The Preface and Sanctus indicate, on the one hand, the wonderful sayings of Christ, and also His silence, as well as His innocence, which were proclaimed by Pilate; on the other hand, they recall the cries of the Jews: Hosanna et crucifige - Praise ye the Lord, crucify Him.

The Canon is recited in silence. It calls to mind Christ carrying the cross and His crucifixion, an event which astonished even nature itself. The elevation reminds us of Christ raised on the cross. Silence now prevails as far as Nobis quoque peccatoribus and Pater noster, when we recall to mind Christ hanging on the Cross where He prays in silence, and afterwards pronounced His seven words.

At the breaking of the Host, a particle of the Host is dropped into the chalice to represent the death of Christ, and the descent of His blessed spirit into hell. The Agnus Dei accompanied with the striking of the breast represents the conversion of those who were present at the death of the Saviour. The Communion and ablutions denote the burial of the Lord.

The Communion Antiphon having been read, the priest turns towards the people and salutes them. This is done to remind us of Christ risen from the dead and appearing to His Apostles when He imparted to them His holy peace. At the Post-Communion and the closing of the book, we are reminded of Christ, who conversed with His Apostles during the space of forty days, and afterwards ascended into heaven. The blessing, which the priest gives to the faithful, reminds us of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles. The last gospel and genuflection represent the preaching of the word of God in the world and to all men, all of whom however do not receive Christ. "But as many as received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God." In the final dissolution of the world, all shall see His glory, and "in the name of Jesus every knee shall bend in heaven, on earth, and in hell."

In this great allegory, it is worthy of note that the mystery of the consecration and the elevation is prominently placed in the middle of the Mass and to these, all that precedes and follows are referred. This beautifully represents how Christ crucified is placed in the middle of the ages  - to whom all things are referred, upon whom all things depend, and in whom all things are contained. The ancient world is referred to Christ, since it was expecting and preparing for Him; the new world is referred to Him also, since it has been crucifying or receiving Him, opposing or honoring Him throughout all time and will continue to do so even to the final separation of the just and the unjust.

The Restricted Allegorical Meaning

Speaking in the restricted allegorical sense, or inasmuch as it simply represents the Passion of the Lord, the divine drama of the Mass may be divided into various acts or scenes in which are exhibited to the piety of the faithful the various mysteries of the sufferings of Christ from the garden of Olives down to the burial, as well as the resurrection and the other glorious mysteries which follow. These scenes are the following:

The departure of the priest in company with his attendants from the sacristy represents Christ going out with His disciples from the chamber of the Last Supper to Mount Olivet.

The Confiteor reminds us of the prayer and agony of Christ in the garden. When the priest ascends the altar and kisses it, we are reminded of Christ in the presence of His enemies and betrayal with a kiss. The Introit reminds us of our Lord in the house of Annas, where He received a blow on the cheek. When the Kyrie eleison and Gloria are recited, the priest stands in the middle of the altar, and we are thereby reminded of Jesus, who stood before Caiphas and, also, the threefold denial by Peter. When the priest kisses the altar and turns towards the people, whom he salutes with the words Dominus vobiscum - the Lord be with you, we are reminded of the look which our Lord gave to Peter. When the priest recites the Epistle, we are reminded of the courtroom of Pilate. 

The transfer of the book and the recitation of the Munda cor recall Christ who was sent to Herod and who was mocked by him. The Gospel and Credo recall Christ standing before the various tribunals where He confessed Himself to be the Son of God and declared that His kingdom was not of this world. 

The unveiling of the chalice recalls Christ, when He was stripped of His garments and was scourged.

The chalice, after the oblation, is covered with the pall. This act represents Christ crowned with thorns.

The washing of the hands reminds us of Pilate, who washed his hands; the Jews thereupon exclaiming: "Let His blood be upon us."

The Orate fratres recalls Christ shown to the people by Pilate, who said Ecce Homo - Behold the man. When the Preface, Sanctus, and Hosanna are recited, we are reminded of Pilate proclaiming the innocence of Christ to the Jews who, only a few days before, hailed Him with Hosannas, but now clamor for His death.

When the priest makes a profound bow, and the sign of the cross on the oblatory offerings, we recall Christ's condemnation to death, and the taking the cross upon His shoulders.

When the priest prays in silence and recites the Memento, etc., we are reminded of our Lord carrying the cross up Calvary's mount.

When the priest extends his hands over the oblations, we are reminded of Christ stretched out on the nailed to the cross.

The elevation of the Sacred Host and chalice tell of Christ raised upon the cross, and pouring out His blood from open wounds.

When the priest prays in silence, and afterwards makes a number of signs of the cross, we are exhorted to think of Christ praying on the cross and suffering without a murmur.

At the Nobis quoque peccatoribus, we are reminded of the conversion of the penitent thief.

The Pater noster, with its seven petitions, recalls the seven last words spoken by Christ on the cross.

The separating the Host and dropping the particle in the chalice recalls the death of Christ and the descent of His blessed spirit into hell.

The Agnus Dei recalls the conversion of the multitudes, who witnessed the prodigies accompanying the death of Christ.

The unveiling of the chalice and the communion represent the taking down of the body of Christ from the cross and its burial.

The Antiphon of communion represents the resurrection of the Lord.

When the priest turns toward the people and salutes them, we recall the risen Lord appearing to and wishing the disciples His holy peace.

The post-communion prayers and closing the book tell of Christ teaching His disciples during the space of forty days and then ascending up into heaven.

At the last Gospel we are reminded of Christ crowned with glory in heaven and there ruling the Church, which is to teach all nations until the end of time.

[Note: Fellow Catholic Michael Sestak has put together a wonderful video presentation of the allegorical meaning of Holy Mass, which The Radical Catholic heartily endorses. Enjoy!]

Quare nunc, Domine?

Joan of Arc
(John Everett Millais, 1829-1896)

God could have had you live in a former age, when the life of the Church was vibrant, when devotions were fervent and piety was a matter of course, when religious vocations were numerous and magnificent cathedrals were shooting out of the ground like mushrooms. But He didn't.

Instead, He wanted you here on earth right now, at this critical moment in the life of the Church, as her houses of prayer and sacrifice are being defiled, as her seminaries and convents are crumbling, as wolves are devouring entire folds and the divine order is being rejected in favor of unspeakable perversions.

The gates of hell have opened wide, vomiting forth the armies of the devil to wage war against the Bride of Christ.

In response, God has sent you.

Pray, gentle reader, that you will be capable of receiving the grace needed to do the great work God has planned for you.