Traditional Catholic Teaching - Lesson 11

Lesson 11 - Supplement A

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One of the joys for the writer in becoming a Catholic was to study how the Mass took its essential shape in the days of the Apostles and then slowly evolved with slight differences over the centuries according to local cultural custom.

Each prayer or action has a beautiful history. The whole liturgy (as we call the service) is a storehouse of religious experience and heritage. Far from being dry and encrusted ceremony, the Mass is a unique and beautifully sequenced collection of actions, prayers, psalms, readings, chants and acclamations. It is not an exaggeration to say that devout Catholics find attendance at Mass to be the highlight of their week, or for those who attend daily, the cornerstone of each new day.

As Bishop Dwyer pointed out, Mass is celebrated by traditional Roman Catholics in Latin. When celebrated in other Sacred Rites within the Church, other traditional languages are used. In contemporary Catholicism, generally the Latin has given way to local languages. For many, it is not so much the change from Latin which is a serious difficulty: it is changes to the ancient form of the Mass which is so disturbing. Traditionalists therefore, whilst fully acknowledging the validity of a modern Mass celebrated as per the law of the Church, tend to keep to the older traditional liturgy. In the list of links at the top of each page, we provide contact points for readers who wish to attend traditional Catholic worship around the world. These all act in accord with the decrees of Pope John XXIII in 1962 who reaffirmed the contents of the Church's liturgical books for use throughout the universal Church, and the decree in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.

The popular name which the Holy Eucharist has come to be known by is, as Bishop Dwyer wrote, derived from the closing words: "Ite Missa est" — "Go, it is the dismissal," i.e. "This is the sending out"." This is a very formal end to Mass, and in a sung Mass, is distinctly elaborate. The solemnity of the chant and the formality of the dismissal command are in proportion to the dignity of the intended commission proclaimed at this very moment. In essence, "Ite Missa est" conveys the message: "Go forth into the world to share God's love and blessing — taking the Gospel to every creature". Holy Mass is the beginning of the new week. Its prayers, psalms, readings and blessings are to spread daily throughout the whole world as incense in God's sight. Each person present receives the same commission: all are to treasure and ponder the eternal truths of the Faith: all are called to give witness to the Eternal Truth — Christ himself, throughout the ensuing week.

Anyone is welcome to attend Mass, though only baptised members of the Faith receive Holy Communion. Some non-catholics misunderstand the restrictions relating to communion. The Church from the beginning was always extremely meticulous about admitting people to Communion, and this discipline continues within the modern Church. Today, non catholic people tend to hold a very wide range of beliefs about the nature of a Holy Communion. Most of these are so contrary to the traditional teaching of the Church that it would be irresponsible to pretend to a unity when it isn't there. The Church respects the beliefs of those who deny its teaching, while considering however, that those who deny this teaching on the Body and Blood of Christ should act consistent with that belief and not assume they can participate in Communion when they believe it to be something different. For Catholics this is not only facing up honestly to the tragic fracture in Christianity, but confronting the consequences in a way which can offer hope to those who want to learn the true nature of Catholic teaching and accept it if they so choose.

To help non-Catholic readers appreciate the way in which Catholics view their participation in the celebration of the Mass we have attached part of an address by the very esteemed Archbishop
Romolo Carboni. See Appendix: The Splendour of the Holy Mass.

In Supplement B, we have a Gospel meditation on John 6: 51 – 58. We chose to continue the theme of Lesson 10 in terms of unfolding more of the Church's ancient and unaltered teaching on the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for those who wish to probe a little more deeply.

End of Lesson 11 Supplement A

Appendix: "The Splendour of the Holy Mass"

Appendix: "Visiting Jesus In The Blessed Sacrament"

Supplement B: "This Bread is my Flesh"

Appendix: "Jesus Institutes The Most Holy Sacrament"

Appendix: "The Paschal Lamb and Jesus"

Appendix: "Early Christian Teachers"

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