The photo above sets a suitably somber tone for Passiontide, although this year the spirit was joyfully interrupted with the feast of St. Joseph and (for those in Benedictine circles) yesterday’s feast of St. Benedict. The church pictured here is St. Anne’s in Vilnius, Lithuania. In my one and only trip to Lithuania many (too many!) years ago, one of my dearest friends, an Englishman whom I met in Austria, got married in this very church, in the middle of the winter. I was there, singing in the Schola: we could all see our breaths. His Lithuanian bride wore furs to keep warm(ish). Afterwards, we celebrated a feast at a tavern with roaring fires and plenty of drink. It remains for me one of those life-warming memories that reminds me of the love at the core of the universe.
Bathsheba
If you are a writer, you know that eating humble pie is part of the routine.
In my post yesterday, I said that Our Lord was descended from the fruit of the sin of David and Bathsheba. This, of course, is wrong. That child died. But Jesus was descended from David and Bathsheba, either through Solomon or Nathan or both (it’s complicated and I won’t even try to work it out here: those who have studied the genealogies know the tangles). All the same, that Christ was born into a lineage of sinners is still true: among his ancestors are Judah and Tamar. If you don’t remember that story, look it up — you won’t find it in any children’s Bible, that’s for sure!
Guardians of Tradition
The big deal this past week, needless to say, is that Episode 3 of Mass of the Ages has been released to the general public on YouTube. If you haven’t watched it yet, make a beeline for the MOTA channel as soon as conveniently possible to watch this moving documentary of nearly one and a half hours:
If I had to pick out my single favorite aspect of this Episode, it would actually be its very title, “Guardians of Tradition,” as giving to the entire film a profound unity. It challenges the viewer with the question: WHO are the true guardians of Catholic tradition? And then it proceeds to answer the question, not analytically, but experientially, narratively, personally, globally, with an impact of shattering force.
Many are saying that this is their favorite episode. Really, I love all three of them, for quite different reasons: the first because of how it portrays the sheer beauty and majesty of the old Mass; the second, because of its vivid presentation of how and why the Novus Ordo was invented; and this one, because it so well presents the sincere faith, living hope, and joyful charity that pulsates at the heart of the traditional movement.
Watch it and share with your friends and family; consider bringing a group of friends together to watch and discuss of an evening. Also, if you have “ins” with clergy — including bishops — who are even just a little bit curious or open-minded, suggest that they watch it too. Only a heart of stone could fail to be moved.
What the Establishment has to say in response
At New Liturgical Movement this past week, I introduce readers to a record-breakingly cringe-film from 1966, which an elderly priest shared on YouTube a little over a year ago, as if to say: “Take THAT, you trads!”
This would appear to be, so far, the only quasi-official response to the Mass of the Ages: digging up a filmstrip originally released in 1966 (but digitally remastered!). To think that a priest today can believe that a video from the Sixties of such cringeworthy quality would somehow help educate (or “reeducate”) Catholics into the grandeurs of liturgical reform shows just what a radical generational disconnect there is, and how utterly empty is the defense of the reform. No counterarguments—only assertions from the Age of Aquarius. This is why the turning of the tides will come, later than we might wish, but sooner than we may dare to believe possible.
Read (and view) the rest there.
People nowadays will sometimes say: “Things are so much less crazy today than back then, in the 60s/70s.” In a few ways, that's true; but mostly, I would say huge numbers have simply become totally accepting of bad customs and no one fusses about it. So the end is worse than the beginning. Ingrained mediocrity is in a certain respect worse than rebellious rupture, because it continues the rupture under a disguise of normalcy, whereas rebellion is bold and easily recognized by those with spiritual sense. Something in Scripture about “would that you were hot or cold, for the lukewarm I will vomit forth…”
Still, however you analyze the situation, we need to know about the irruption of infernal, chthonic, dark energy into the Church in the 60s if we are to understand the spirit that must be exorcised today. And that is why Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s commentary here, concerning another film from the 1960s (1968 to be precise) about the Catholic Church, is so valuable.
These are great resources for enriching your sense of modern Church history, what went wrong, and why the restoration of tradition is the only meaningful response.
Cardinal Burke’s novena prayer in Latin
I imagine many of my readers here are participating in Cardinal Burke’s 9-month Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, from March 12 to December 12, 2024. And if you hadn’t heard about it, or haven’t started it, feel free to join anyway! A daily prayer lasting for 9 months is certainly the kind of thing one can jump into a bit later on, riding on the coattails of everyone else doing it. Just tell your heavenly Mother you were a bit late but you want her to accept this offering as if you started on Day 1. Good mothers make allowances for their children and are not unduly harsh or legalistic. That’s also the reason why, if you miss a day, don’t sweat it, just keep on going.
You can find the prayer in 10 languages here. The most recent language to be added is the Western Church’s mother tongue.
Bishop Schneider’s good counsel
Fr Serafino Lanzetta recently interviewed Bishop Schneider on the weekly show “Tea with Mary.” The topics tackled are very central: from the ambiguities of Vatican II to today’s new Sedevacantism and a kind of new Millenarianism (people anxiously seeking a special revelation to fix the present time). Highly recommended!
In another interview, Bishop Schneider said: “Peter is sleeping, while Judas is awake.”
This prelate is truly a light for our times.
Why every true Christian is Orthodox, Catholic, Traditionalist, and Reformed
Robert Lazu Kmita writes at The Remnant:
Before all possible appellations, some positive and justified, others negative and unacceptable, what we must remember is that essentially, all those validly baptized in the Church of the Savior Jesus Christ are “Christians.” This is the noun to which the accompanying adjectives refer. All other denominations, starting with those primordial ones of “Catholic” and “Orthodox,” are only determinants and adjectives meant to indicate certain fundamental traits of an authentic Christian.
Thus, every Christian must follow and believe in the authentic and integral Revelation transmitted to us through the Church. For this, he must be “Orthodox” ( = to have the right faith briefly expressed in the Credo and defended as a precious treasure by the Magisterium of the Church). We must not allow this essential attribute of our supernatural faith to be understood exclusively confessional and sectarian, as when it is used to indicate the schismatic community of the Eastern Churches that broke communion with Rome in 1054.
Also, our faith of apostolic origin is “Catholic.” This attribute indicates the universality of the faith that was revealed by Christ not only to the Jews but to all nations.
At the same time, every authentic Christian is also a “Traditionalist.” This indicates that he respects not only the Holy Scripture as the source of Revelation but also the Holy Tradition of apostolic origin, transmitted and defended by worthy Popes and all faithful hierarchs of the Church in communion with the successors of Peter.
We can also say that we are “reformed,” but not in any way in a Protestant sense, but in the sense that we “reform” our lives continuously through continuous penance, fully embraced.
However, a true Christian will never define himself as “liberal” or “progressive.”
Read the rest there.
Upcoming Lectures: Chicago, Indianapolis, San Antonio
All these events require registration.
I’ll be in Chicago on April 12. Register here:
I’ll be in Indianapolis on April 18. Register here:
Finally, I’ll be in San Antonio at Sanctus Ranch on April 27 & 28, giving one talk each day. For more details, visit here.
God bless you all and thank you for reading!
1. The bishop Schneider interview is on the docket for me over the weekend, along with my Lenten reading, The Glories of Divine Grace by Scheeben.
2. I loved the above discussion of the terms “traditional,” “Catholic,” “Orthodox,” etc. Revelation is given in scripture AND tradition, right (?) They are in the CCC as well.
However I watched a video by a prominent priest yesterday. He emphasized scripture as revelation and I don’t think he even mentioned tradition. And then he talked about the authority of the pope. It was all about obedience, understood rather simply.
3. One reason I knew I had to swim the Tiber was that I had gradually allowed myself to be sucked into “ingrained mediocrity.” Good phrase. Of course I had bought into Protestant and then feminist disruption. Through fasting and mortification this Lent I am trying to see the truth and make reparations for my willful disorder, and unlearn the many falsehoods of the world which I believed over decades.
Oh, yesterday’s piece was quite beautiful.
Wow! What a surprise to see my very own parish church atop this entry! I was just there a few hours ago for confession, stations, and Mass. I hope you'll make a return visit to St. Anne's in the not too distant future, Dr. K!