Saturday 8th February 2025

Home » Our Catholic Faith » Currently Reading:

The Sacred Liturgy . . . Presenting The Mysteries Of Christ

October 29, 2017 Our Catholic Faith No Comments

By RAYMOND DE SOUZA

Part 5

Why is it important to observe the proper rubrics of the Catholic liturgy? In order to avoid the “liturgical experiments” that have weakened people’s faith.
These innovations have diminished the faith of the people, making the worship of God dependent on the subjective opinions and preferences of the famous “parish liturgical committees” who often invent new things to keep the people, especially youth, “entertained.”
As if we went to church not to worship God in fulfillment of the Third Commandment, but to enjoy a good performance of music and sometimes jokes from the pulpit!
On the contrary, the Church teaches us that in the sacred liturgy, the whole Christ is proposed to us in all the conditions of His life.
We can see Him as the Word of the Eternal Father; as born of the Virgin Mother of God; as the one who teaches us truth, heals the sick, consoles the afflicted; as the one who endures suffering and who dies; as the one who rose triumphantly from the dead and who, reigning in the glory of Heaven, sends us the Spirit as Paraclete and, finally, as the one who lives in His Church forever: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
This is a key point for contemporary Catholics to understand in these days of a crisis of faith in the Church: As the Latin adage goes, “Lex orandi, lex credendi…lex vivendi.” In practical terms, the way we pray heavily influences the way we believe, and both influence the way we live.
Consequently, if the liturgy in my parish has been modified with innovations that tend to be Protestantized, my beliefs will be influenced by those innovations and my behavior in life will also be modified accordingly.
The example of Brazil is proverbial: The trendy clerics have modified the liturgy so much, introducing all sorts of innovations and experiences, with hardly any moral teaching, that the faith has largely been left aside.
Consequence: People leave the Church in millions to join Protestant groups, which appear to teach religion.
But if the clergy in Brazil and in many other places, including the United States, had presented the mysteries of Christ as ever present and as shining examples of Christian perfection, as well as sources of divine grace, due to the merit and prayers of Christ, things would have been much different.
Each mystery of faith brings its own special grace for our salvation. We are in communion with the mysteries of Jesus: for He lived His life not for Himself but for us; because in them He presents Himself as our model; and because He enables us to live in Him all that He lived, and He lives it in us.
The rubrics of the Church’s sacred liturgy, when properly observed, bring to us feast days of the angels and saints, interspersed throughout the year. These days remind us of those Catholics who were raised to the honor of the altar because of their exemplary fidelity to God’s Law and love for God and neighbor. They serve as examples for us to follow, or at least, to admire, as the saints are the real super-heroes of Christendom.
Chief among those feast days are those dedicated to our Lady, which must always be observed with the utmost devotion. These feasts can be seen in the calendar at the front of any good missal. Sunday remains the preeminent feast day of the Resurrection of our Lord.
There is also a whole “Holy Library” of liturgical books of the Roman Rite, to which most of us belong. They are: The Missal, the Lectionary, the Gradual, the Pontifical, the Ritual, the Ceremonial of Bishops, the Breviary, or Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, and the Martyrology.
As you see, there is a lot more to learn about worshiping God than just expressing our feelings!
I mentioned the “liturgical committees” in parishes. These initiatives, which in some places “create” innovations almost from Sunday to Sunday, more often than not ignore the fact that the regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church. That authority resides in the Apostolic See, in Rome, and, as laws may determine, at times on the bishop or on the conferences of bishops.
Those who say that the Vatican II allowed “liturgical creativity” at the parish level are deceiving the people: Because, no other person at all, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority (Sacrosanctum Concilium, article 22; see canon 838).
And here we touch on a delicate point: “liturgical creativity” in Christian funerals. Time and again I have seen generous eulogies of the deceased’s life and sayings, with funny stories and jokes, and even attempted “canonizations” (declarations that the deceased “is in Heaven”) which introduce a breath of tranquility among family members, since the deceased is supposedly already enjoying his reward and is happy ever after….
Such things are totally out of place at a Catholic funeral, and offer false consolation to family and mourners. Remember: What the dead need are prayers, not praise. It is no consolation to a soul in Purgatory to be lauded on Earth when a congregation should be praying for his eternal repose. The “wake” that follows the funeral sometimes seems more like a party than an occasion of mourning.
The purposes of a funeral are: 1) to pray for the soul of the deceased; 2) to bring God’s consolation to those who mourn; and 3) to dispose of the body ritually and reverently in expectation of the resurrection.
For a deceased Catholic, a Requiem Mass is most suitable, for in the Eucharist, “the Church expresses her efficacious communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice of the death and resurrection of Christ, she beseeches that His child be purified of his sins and their consequences, and be admitted to the Paschal fullness of the table of the Kingdom.”
What about cremation, you might ask. The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the deceased be retained. She does not, however, forbid cremation, unless this is chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine.
The practice of cremation re-entered the Western world at the time of the so-called Enlightenment, originally as an act of defiance against the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. If cremation is chosen for this or any other anti-Christian reason, the Church will not grant ecclesiastical burial.
The bottom line regarding Catholic liturgical practices is this: The liturgy of Earth must reflect the liturgy of Heaven. In the earthly liturgy, we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the Holy City of Jerusalem, toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle.
With all the warriors of the heavenly army, we sing a hymn of glory to the Lord; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ, until He, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with Him in glory.
Friends, if we do not find this kind of liturgy in our parishes, try again. That explains why so many are moving back to the Traditional Rite of the Mass, as in parishes run by the Church-approved Fraternity of St. Peter.
Next article: The sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ.

+ + +

(Raymond de Souza is available to speak at Catholic events anywhere in the free world in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Please email Sacred HeartMedia@Outlook.com or visit www.RaymonddeSouza.com or phone 507-450-4196 in the United States.)

Share Button

2019 The Wanderer Printing Co.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE? An Open Letter to My Brother Bishops (and to the lay faithful!)

You gather here today, present-day apostles, as the Church and, therefore, the world stand perched on the edge of a cliff. And yet you who are entrusted with the keeping of souls choose to speak not a word of the…Continue Reading

Former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards Dies Of Brain Cancer At 67

(LifeSiteNews) — Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards died Monday of brain cancer at age 67, leaving behind the largest abortion chain in the nation.  “This morning our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her…Continue Reading

Vatican and USCCB leave transgender policy texts unpublished

While U.S. bishops have made headlines for releasing policies addressing gender identity and pastoral ministry, guidelines on the subject have been drafted but not published by both the U.S. bishops’ conference and the Vatican’s doctrinal office, leaving diocesan bishops to…Continue Reading

Biden says Pope Francis told him to continue receiving communion, amid scrutiny over pro-abortion policies

President Biden said that Pope Francis, during their meeting Friday in Vatican City, told him that he should continue to receive communion, amid heightened scrutiny of the Catholic president’s pro-abortion policies.  The president, following the approximately 90-minute-long meeting, a key…Continue Reading

Federal judge rules in favor of Gov. DeSantis’ mask mandate ban

MIAMI (LifeSiteNews) – A federal judge this week handed Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis another legal victory on his mask mandate ban for schools. On Wednesday, Judge K. Michael Moore of the Southern District of Florida denied a petition from…Continue Reading

The Eucharist should not be received unworthily, says Nigerian cardinal

Priests have a duty to remind Catholics not to receive the Eucharist in a state of serious sin and to make confession easily available, a Nigerian cardinal said at the International Eucharistic Congress on Thursday. “It is still the doctrine…Continue Reading

Donald Trump takes a swipe at Catholics and Jews who did not vote for him

Donald Trump complained about Catholics and Jews who did not vote for him in 2020. The former president made the comments in a conference call featuring religious leaders. The move could be seen to shore up his religious conservative base…Continue Reading

Y Gov. Kathy Hochul Admits Andrew Cuomo Covered Up COVID Deaths, 12,000 More Died Than Reported

When it comes to protecting people from COVID, Andrew Cuomo is already the worst governor in America. New York has the second highest death rate per capita, in part because he signed an executive order putting COVID patients in nursing…Continue Reading

Prayers For Cardinal Burke . . . U.S. Cardinal Burke says he has tested positive for COVID-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke said he has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. In an Aug. 10 tweet, he wrote: “Praised be Jesus Christ! I wish to inform you that I have recently…Continue Reading

Democrats Block Amendment Banning Late-Term Abortions, Stopping Abortions Up to Birth

Senate Democrats have blocked an amendment that would ban abortions on babies older than 20 weeks. During consideration of the multi-trillion spending package, pro-life Louisiana Senator John Kennedy filed an amendment to ban late-term abortions, but Democrats steadfastly support killing…Continue Reading

Transgender student wins as U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs bathroom appeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to a transgender former public high school student who waged a six-year legal battle against a Virginia county school board that had barred him from using the bathroom corresponding…Continue Reading

New York priest accused by security guard of assault confirms charges have now been dropped

NEW YORK, June 17, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A New York priest has made his first public statement regarding the dismissal of charges against him.  Today Father George W. Rutler reached out to LifeSiteNews and other media today with the following…Continue Reading

Untitled 5 Untitled 2

Attention Readers:

  Welcome to our website. Readers who are familiar with The Wanderer know we have been providing Catholic news and orthodox commentary for 150 years in our weekly print edition.


  Our daily version offers only some of what we publish weekly in print. To take advantage of everything The Wanderer publishes, we encourage you to su
bscribe to our flagship weekly print edition, which is mailed every Friday or, if you want to view it in its entirety online, you can subscribe to the E-edition, which is a replica of the print edition.
 
  Our daily edition includes: a selection of material from recent issues of our print edition, news stories updated daily from renowned news sources, access to archives from The Wanderer from the past 10 years, available at a minimum charge (this will be expanded as time goes on). Also: regularly updated features where we go back in time and highlight various columns and news items covered in The Wanderer over the past 150 years. And: a comments section in which your remarks are encouraged, both good and bad, including suggestions.
 
  We encourage you to become a daily visitor to our site. If you appreciate our site, tell your friends. As Catholics we must band together to rediscover our faith and share it with the world if we are to effectively counter a society whose moral culture seems to have no boundaries and a government whose rapidly extending reach threatens to extinguish the rights of people of faith to practice their religion (witness the HHS mandate). Now more than ever, vehicles like The Wanderer are needed for clarification and guidance on the issues of the day.

Catholic, conservative, orthodox, and loyal to the Magisterium have been this journal’s hallmarks for five generations. God willing, our message will continue well into this century and beyond.

Joseph Matt
President, The Wanderer Printing Co.

Untitled 1

Catechism

Today . . .

The Brew: President Trump Keeps Flooding the Zone with Sane Policies That Expose Sick, Squalid Secrets

No, it’s not manna from Heaven or multiplied loaves and fishes, because Caesar isn’t Jesus. We don’t look to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or any mere human being to save us from our sins; Jesus already did that. But we can and should demand that the men who wield the secular sword aren’t sticking it in our backs or using it to abort babies and sexually mutilate children. Some people say that asking for that…Continue Reading

Trump Defunds International Planned Parenthood

President Donald Trump added to his excellent pro-life record today by reversing Joe Biden’s policy forcing Americans to fund International Planned Parenthood. While on Air Force One today, President Trump signed crucial pro-life executive orders which pro-life advocates have strongly prioritized and advocated for. During his first week in office last term, Trump signed the Mexico City policy in one of his first acts as president. The pro-life policy prohibits American tax dollars to groups that promote…Continue Reading

Pope Francis appoints Austin, Texas, Bishop Joe Vásquez as archbishop of Galveston-Houston

Vatican City, Jan 20, 2025 / 08:00 am In an important move for the Catholic Church in Texas on Monday, Pope Francis named Austin Bishop Joe Vásquez to replace 75-year-old Cardinal Daniel DiNardo as head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. DiNardo, who was made a cardinal in 2007 and who led the U.S. bishops’ conference as president from 2016–2019, turned 75 — the standard retirement age for Catholic bishops — in May 2024. The 67-year-old…Continue Reading

Trump CDC Nominee Dave Weldon Protected Pro-Life Doctors From Being Forced to Do Abortions

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the reason the government doesn’t give money to entities that discriminate against pro-life health care providers. In 2005, then-Rep. David Weldon, R-Fla., first proposed the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits Department of Health and Human Services funds from going to entities that discriminate against providers that don’t pay for, provide, cover, or refer for abortions. The amendment has been readopted in every HHS…Continue Reading

Donald Trump elected president in decisive win over Kamala Harris

(LifeSiteNews) — Republican former President Donald Trump has won this year’s election to become the 47th president of the United States, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News called the 2024 presidential race for Trump around 1:50 a.m. EST on Wednesday after declaring him the winner of swing states Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Associated Press has since called the election for Trump.

The King of Kings

Cindy Paslawski We are at the end of the Church year. We began with Advent a year ago, commemorating the time awaiting the coming of the Christ and we are ending these weeks later with a vision of the future, a vision of Christ the King of the Universe on His throne before us all.…Continue Reading

7,000 Pro-Lifers March In London

By STEVEN ERTELT LONDON (LifeNews) — Over the weekend, some seven thousand pro-life people in the UK participated in the March for Life in London to protest abortion.They marched to Parliament Square on Saturday, September 2 under the banner of “Freedom to Live” and had to deal with a handful of radical abortion activists.During the…Continue Reading

An Appeal For Prayer For The Armenian People

By RAYMOND LEO CARDINAL BURKE (Editor’s Note: His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke on August 29, 2023, issued this prayer for the Armenian people, noting their unceasing love for Christ, even in the face of persecution.) + + On the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, having a few days ago celebrated the…Continue Reading

Robert Hickson, Founding Member Of Christendom College, Dies At 80

By MAIKE HICKSON FRONT ROYAL, Va. (LifeSiteNews) — Robert David Hickson, Jr., of Front Royal, Va., died at his home on September 2, 2023, at 21:29 p.m. after several months of suffering and after having received the Last Rites of the Catholic Church. He was surrounded by friends and family.Robert is survived by me —…Continue Reading

The Real Hero Of “Sound of Freedom”… Says The Film Has Strengthened The Fight Against Child Trafficking

By ANA PAULA MORALES (CNA) —Tim Ballard, a former U.S. Homeland Security agent who risked his life to fight child trafficking, discussed the impact of the movie Sound of Freedom, which is based on his work, in an August 29 interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. “I’ve spent more than 20 years helping…Continue Reading

Advertisement

Our Catholic Faith (Section B of print edition)

Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: This lesson on medical-moral issues is taken from the book Catholicism & Ethics. Please feel free to use the series for high schoolers or adults. We will continue to welcome your questions for the column as well. The email and postal addresses are given at the end of this column. Special Course On Catholicism And Ethics (Pages 53-59)…Continue Reading

Color Politics An Impediment To Faith

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK The USCCB is rightly concerned about racism, as they should be about any sin. In the 2018 statement Open Wide Our Hearts, they affirm the dignity of every human person: “But racism still profoundly affects our culture, and it has no place in the Christian heart. This evil causes great harm to its victims, and…Continue Reading

Trademarks Of The True Messiah

By MSGR. CHARLES POPE (Editor’s Note: Msgr. Charles Pope posted this essay on September 2, and it is reprinted here with permission.) + + In Sunday’s Gospel the Lord firmly sets before us the need for the cross, not as an end in itself, but as the way to glory. Let’s consider the Gospel in three stages.First: The Pattern That…Continue Reading

A Beacon Of Light… The Holy Cross And Jesus’ Unconditional Love

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON Each year on September 14 the Church celebrates the Feast Day of the Exultation of the Holy Cross. The Feast Day of the Triumph of the Holy Cross commemorates the day St. Helen found the True Cross. It is fitting then, that today we should focus on the final moments of Jesus’ life on the…Continue Reading

Our Ways Must Become More Like God’s Ways

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twenty-Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR A) Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9Phil. 1:20c-24, 27aMatt. 20:1-16a In the first reading today, God tells us through the Prophet Isaiah that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. This should not come as a surprise to anyone, especially when we look at what the Lord…Continue Reading

The Devil And The Democrats

By FR. DENIS WILDE, OSA States such as Minnesota, California, Maryland, and others, in all cases with Democrat-controlled legislatures, are on a fast track to not only allow unborn babies to be murdered on demand as a woman’s “constitutional right” but also to allow infanticide.Our nation has gotten so used to the moral evil of killing in the womb that…Continue Reading

Crushed But Unbroken . . . The Martyrdom Of St. Margaret Clitherow

By RAY CAVANAUGH The late-1500s were a tough time for Catholics in England, where the Reformation was in full gear. A 1581 law prohibited Catholic religious ceremonies. And a 1584 Act of Parliament mandated that all Catholic priests leave the country or else face execution. Some chose to remain, however, so they could continue serving the faithful.Also taking huge risks…Continue Reading

Advertisement(2)