21st July 2021
Feast of St Mary Magdalen
I have noticed a number of comments on the internet, particularly on Twitter, that run something like this:
"Vatican II and the New Mass have a lot of good things in them so Trads should just accept them and obey etc".
You get the gist.
However, there's a problem with that line of argument.
You see, the most effective, most deceptive and, therefore, the most dangerous and insidious lies actually contain 99% of the truth. It's the 1% falsehood that will kill you.
We could debate on the actual percentages of good versus bad, orthodox versus modernist elements in Vatican II and the Novus Ordo.
The argument still stands.
A burger that has just one teeny tiny drop of lethal poison will kill you regardless of all the excellent nutrients, minerals and vitamins it contains.
Let's look at the issue of the Offertory alone. Compare the following:
Novus Ordo Offertory
The Host
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you:
fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.
The Chalice
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
the wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.
Traditional Latin Mass Offertory
The Host
Accept, O Holy father, Almighty and Eternal God, this spotless host, which I, Your unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true God, to atone for my numberless sins, offences, and negligences; on behalf of all here present and likewise for all faithful Christians living and dead, that it may profit me and them as a means of salvation to life everlasting. Amen.
The Chalice
O God, + Who in creating man didst exalt his nature very wonderfully and yet more wonderfully didst establish it anew;; by the Mystery signified in the mingling of this water and wine, grant us to have part in the Godhead of Him Who hath deigned to become a partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God. World without end. Amen.
We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the chalice of salvation, entreating Thy mercy that our offering may ascend with a sweet fragrance in the sight of Thy divine Majesty, for our own salvation, and for that of the whole world. Amen.
The two are just utterly incomparable. They are completely different in their Theology, Ethos and tone.
The Novus Ordo Offertory prayers are actually based on Jewish Berakhah prayers.
Baruch ata ADONAI Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei peri ha-gafen
or, as it is in English
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe, for creating the fruit of the vine.
Sound somewhat familiar???
These Jewish prayers were never a part of the Offertory of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They were added into the 1969 fabricated Novus Ordo.
Why?
Well one thing is for sure, it was not to add to our understanding of the nature of the Holy Mass or to further true Catholic Doctrine.
Furthermore, what is absolutely undeniable is that they do not measure up whatsoever to the Traditional Offertory prayers. The Novus Ordo offertory (if you can even call it that) portray the Eucharist as a communal meal. Indeed, the Jewish Berakhah prayers are often said in connection with meals.
The Traditional Offertory is undoubtedly an offering of a pure sacrifice and oblation for sin. This is in total harmony with the infallible teachings on the nature of the Mass in the Council of Trent:
"And forasmuch as, in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the mass, that same Christ is contained and immolated in an unbloody manner, who once offered Himself in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross; the holy Synod teaches, that this sacrifice is truly propitiatory and that by means thereof this is effected, that we obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid, if we draw nigh unto God, contrite and penitent, with a sincere heart and upright faith, with fear and reverence. For the Lord, appeased by the oblation thereof, and granting the grace and gift of penitence, forgives even heinous crimes and sins. For the victim is one and the same, the same now offering by the ministry of priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner alone of offering being different. The fruits indeed of which oblation, of that bloody one to wit, are received most plentifully through this unbloody one; so far is this (latter) from derogating in any way from that (former oblation). Wherefore, not only for the sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities of the faithful who are living, but also for those who are departed in Christ, and who are not as yet fully purified, is it rightly offered, agreebly to a tradition of the apostles." Ch 2, 22nd Session
Council of Trent, Session 22, On the Catholic Mass with Editorial Commentary (shrineofsaintjude.net)
So it cannot be denied. One Offertory is explicitly and thoroughly Catholic. It concords with infallible teaching. Its nature is clear, its language unambiguous and poetic. The other is simply none of the above.
From this one example alone (and there are many others) it is clear to see that the issues that Traditionalists have with the Novus Ordo are much deeper and more grave than mere aesthetics or the love of Latin or lace.
It is a completely Theological issue.
Trads want a 100% TRULY Catholic Liturgy.
Even 99% is just not good enough.
This is one of the reasons why not everyone is "content" with the Novus Ordo, plus, of course the addition of extra eucharistic prayers, one of which was claimed to be an ancient one and then turned out not to be. I was chatting with a parishioner the other day - they said, we just used to go on holiday anywhere and the Mass was the same in Latin. We took our Latin / English missal with us and could understand everything. Benedict XVI understood this in stating there is the novus ordo and the extraordinary form and, to try to bring unity back to the Church, allowed the continued celebration of both forms.
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