In my experience of the Mass of St. Gregory (from henceforth to incorrectly be referred to as the "Latin Mass") there is a heavenly host of graces which abundantly bless the souls of the faithful. The beauty, depth, and direction of the Mass are of inestimable value. But, BUT, like any endeavour which involves fallen humanity, the Latin Mass, or any Mass/Divine Liturgy, can be soured if one does not check oneself. Based on my experience, here are three ways to mess up the Mass:

1) Be a Know-it-All

I have many wonderful, devoted, and insightful friends involved with the Latin Mass. I recently tried reaching out and talking to a couple of other people who attend the same Mass, yet whom I would've never seen myself talking to before. I raised the topic with them of a recent video I saw explaining some of the issues in the Church today (FYI: A Taylor Marshall video). Immediately I was met with: "Yeah, I couldn't even watch 30 minutes of him... he doesn't know anything about imperialism. Ridiculous! Imperialism is blah blah blah..." And thus I lost any desire to talk to these people ever again. It took less than 30 seconds of conversation. Why? They were being know-it-alls. I am willing to admit there are many things I need to learn about. For instance, this "imperialism" topic. I am not well-read on the modern debate surrounding it (nor, to be frank, do I really care). And yes, I've studied political philosophy in great depth (including Aquinas). It doesn't matter. Being a know-it-all is a tremendous turn off. 

2) Be Unbalanced

"Lord, may I have balance and measure in everything... except love." Thus writes St. Jose Maria Escriva. Look, we must put our all into the Mass. This includes serving, singing, decorating, spiritually preparing, and even dressing ourselves, to the best of our abilities. Further, these small "talents" of ours must be done in accord with the deep theological traditions of the Church. Otherwise we lose efficacy and, essentially, wander around cluelessly like the Israelites in the desert. Yet love for the Mass must not get in the way of common sense with living. "Ite Missa Est" means we are commissioned (not simply "dismissed"). Thus the Mass must act, and balance, our entire lives. And let me repeat, our lives must be balanced with common sense. 

I'll give you an example. I heard that some people do not necessarily feed their children before a 9am Mass. Say what? I understand the importance of the Mass. It is the "source and summit" of our day, week, and entire lives (Lumen Gentium 11). But come on! Children NEED to eat when they wake up. Otherwise, you are inflicting their hungry wrath on every last person at Mass. And it's not the child's fault. Feed your child! This is an example of being unbalanced. The Mass is most important. And there should be sacrifice involved in attending Mass. It's not easy, for instance, to attend a two hour Corpus Christi Mass at 5:15pm on a beautiful Thursday in June with fidgety children. Such a sacrifice would be abundantly bless by Our Lord. But to forgo a simple balance in life such as feeding your children, one that can be easily attained, is a means to souring the graces of the Mass. 

3) Be Grumpy Cat

Our own family has experienced something that we never would have thought much about before. That is, years ago we attended a Latin Mass. We found out that after Mass each Sunday the parishioners go downstairs for a quick coffee/snack and socializing. So we went down. Immediately we were sought out by a married couple. They introduced themselves, asked questions about ourselves (little did they know that I used to go to this parish in my university days... long before they were even Catholic), and authentically expressed a joy that we were here, with the hope of seeing us back soon. It made all the difference in the world that these people had reached out to us.

Last week, while we were attending the Latin Mass at this same church, I did something I never ever would have done before. I saw a couple at Mass whom I had never seen before. It turns out they weren't even Catholic. After Mass they went down to the basement for a cup of coffee. I turned to my wife and said, "Wife," says I, "we should go introduce ourselves to that couple over there." Wife readily agreed. And so we did. I thank the people who did the same to us years earlier. Sometimes in life it's the little things.

No one wants to hang out with grumpy cat. Be joyful. I think of the one man I know who, just days after finally acquiring a small herd of buffalo, had the herd drown in a swamp. The next morning at coffee time post-Mass, though he clearly was devastated, it seemed he was the one who was trying to console others over the tragedy of the dead buffalo. What a lesson in joy. We all have terrible days. Or weeks. Heck, even years. But sanctifying others should not be by being a thorn in their side. Be joyful. Or at least don't be grumpy.

And so...

These three mini-rants all come from my experience of attending the Latin Mass. They might sound harsh, whereas really they are not intended to be. I would just like to leave off with one other thing I noticed last week while attending the Latin Mass. I took our little two year old to the back of the church because she was being fussy. I looked up to pray and what I saw was unmistakable. I saw men everywhere. MEN. Yes there were children, mothers and grandmothers there. But really what stood out was just how many men there were. Many had a baby in one hand, and a Missal in the other. They were praying and rearing. All in the same breath. There is something truly special and life-giving about this Latin Mass.

Hence, I say: let's be careful to not mess it up.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Bishops by the Numbers

I was watching Dr. Taylor Marshall's chat with Fr. Dwight Longenecker recently. Something Marshall said made me stop to think. Apparently he once read from an Orthodox person that the general make up of bishops is as follows:

20% of bishops are bad.

(i.e. heretical, modernists, live double lives, deliberately wishy-washy, have hidden agendas, or even all of the above)

60% of bishops sit on the fence with issues. 

Most of these do not have the training or mental capacity to actually know or teach Church doctrine clearly. A quick fix for this, in my opinion, might involve upholding Canon 249, whereby all priests (and bishops) must know Latin. True reasons aside, if nothing else this would be an intelligence test for our ordained.

20% of bishops are good. 

They clearly respond to scandals and are quick to instill the faith in their dioceses.

When troubled times arise (e.g. Arianism). The two polar opposites (20%ers) battle it out until the Church convenes a special council (e.g. Nicea) and thus upholds what the 20% of good bishops are saying. Eventually the following happens:

The 20% of bad bishops are shamed and seen as evil.

The 60% of mediocre bishops claim they always were on the side of the good.

The 20% of good bishops are seen as saints.

And thus the life of the Church repeats itself.

Can this be seen today? I believe it is more of a 10/80/10 percent split. To add to the confusion, one would be naïve to expect a solid council to clarify matters of abuse, divorce, morality and Tradition. Instead we get youth synods (a good teacher knows not to follow whatever youth say), and special meetings of bishops which are led by the evil 10 or 20%. 

Suffice it to say, the good percentage of bishops will take it on the chin for a while. The majority of mediocre bishops might even turn on them. But the reward remains the same: the opportunity for sainthood. And, in this grand chess match of life, becoming a saint is really what it's all about.

"Did you ever know that you're my hero?

And everything I would like to be?"

Not just somethings, mind you. Everything. Or if Bette Midler doesn't satisfy your mood, try some Foo Fighters:

"There goes my hero. He's ordinary."

Heroes are everywhere. Heroes are everyone. From the soldier dying in battle to the brave mayor who secretly makes a sale of his own building to the new marijuana retailers in town, located on main street, by the children's gymnastics. But enough about the heroes of my town. The point is we are all heroes. Sure it can be too much to expect someone to quit smoking, or go to Mass one hour a week, or read to a child before bed. We don't have time for that. But heroes are busy like that.



Doing basic first aid makes you a hero too

For our upcoming Terry Fox day my grade fivers and I discussed what it means to be a hero. The ideas were the same. Caring. Being there for you. Strong. And surprisingly one student even suggested bravery. No mention of greatness. Nor sacrificial virtue. I tried to lead the discussion towards the fact that maybe, just maybe, we make heroes out of everyone, but that a true hero stands above all of this. You know us teachers can't get a point across to save our lives. Maybe I should record my lectures on YouTube. Then I would get some attention from students. Though deep down I know I'm there hero too.

When it came down to it, the students had to write a brief expository on who their hero is. All but one student chose a parent (cue the "Awwwwww!"). One little girl chose the Rock, Dwayne Johnson. "My mom is a hero because she gives me money to buy video games," was one of my favourites. The same mom whom I cannot meet with unless no fewer than three other staff members are present, for security reasons. Other heroic qualities I noticed were that it takes heroism to put a child in hockey, or dance, or to be left alone to play video games.

All is well and good. We need to champion mediocrity. It makes us oafs feel better. For St. John Paul II who stood up to communism, or even Terry Fox who ran a marathon a day with one leg and cancer in the lungs, we are thrilled to join your ranks. Now admire how I write this blogpost on my prep time at school. I didn't have to. I chose to. What's your superpower?

Meanwhile, a parting shot from Anthony Esolen in Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child:

“You democratize heroism. Everybody is a hero, and simply for doing (and often not well at that) the ordinary tasks of living as a half-decent person. Does your mother fix you breakfast? She is a hero. Does your father visit you every weekend without fail? A hero. Does your teacher mark your papers faithfully when you make a mistake? Unexampled heroism, that. If everyone is a hero, then no one is a hero; and genuine heroes will go unnoticed in all the mindless self-congratulation.”

Rutler Lays Down the Plastic Hammer

Fr. George Rutler, a throwback priest to the times when men were men, wrote a can't miss article yesterday. This is a Church in crisis. Fr. Rutler nails the root of our woes. Read it HERE.


A sample:

"Plastic is not mentioned in Sacred Scripture, not even in the New American Bible. But we may safely assume that Jesus would have had difficulty walking on water if it had been filled with plastic trash. Saint Peter found a gold coin in the mouth of a fish but today he might very well find only a piece of styrofoam. When our Lord fed the five thousand and the four thousand, the leftovers filled twelve and seven kphinoi, or wicker baskets, respectively. These were huge crowds, especially if you add the number of women and children, and more so if 2+2 = 5. But the point is: these baskets were biodegradable, and it would never have occurred to the Master to use plastic trash bags even if such had existed."

 Read the rest at Crisis Magazine.

"The Good Ecologist, having recycled ninety-nine plastic bottles,
still goes out in search of the one polyurethane bottle that is lost."

Ember Days - Join in the Fun

I've been hearing a lot about Ember Days the last week or so. In the past it was only ever a murmur. Now the movement is growing.


What are Ember Days? From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

"Ember days (corruption from Lat. Quatuor Tempora, four times) are the days at the beginning of the seasons ordered by the Church as days of fast and abstinence. They were definitely arranged and prescribed for the entire Church by Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085) for the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December (S. Lucia), after Ash Wednesday, after Whitsunday, and after 14 September (Exaltation of the Cross) [The saying is: Lenti, Penti, Cruci, Luci]. The purpose of their introduction, besides the general one intended by all prayer and fasting, was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy."

Like many good things, Ember Days were swept under the rug in the years following Vatican II. When the Church needed penance and prayer the most, it was abandoned. However, given the present crisis in the Church, Ember Days seems to be re-emerging. The crisis will get far worse, yet many good things will come from it. Consider participating in Ember Days. They go this Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Even simply forgoing TV for these days. Or giving some extra donations that you have been holding off. Do so for the needs and intentions of the Church.


And, of course:

First Week of School {Pictures}

We started a new school year this week. It's always bittersweet to say goodbye to Daddy after a wonderful summer and hit routine again. 

Introducing the students...

Name: Emilie

Age: 2
Height: 2'9"
Grade: Toddler
Most excited to: tuck her babies into bed, ask for "food, please" all morning, help Mommy in the kitchen
Future occupation: 

Name: John Paul 

Age: 4
Height: 3'4"
Grade: Preschool 
Most excited to: learn to read (!) and write
Future occupation: maybe a dad

Name: Joseph

Age: 7
Height: 3'11"
Grade: 2 
Most excited to: do science experiments: making glue!
Future occupation: probably a dad and... I don't know about the job



We "eased" into school this week. We had root beer floats to mark the first day of school. They demanded I measure them to see how much they grow between now and the end of the school year. They spent recess on the first day of school raking and jumping in piles of leaves. We studied our map of China outside on a picnic blanket and read Tikki Tikki Tembo and The Empty Pot. We began reading My Father's Dragon and they yell at me when I end the chapter because it's such a cliff hanger. The boys tried balancing weights with wood and rocks in the backyard and I read them The Weight of a Mass (beautiful story!) and patted myself on the back for impromptu cross-curricular connections.

Emilie begged for snacks and "help meee" all morning, everyday. But then she went to her room and happily hung out with her babies and bear for a while, tucking them in and kissing them. 

Here's to a brand new year and lots of fun. 

LWC: Living with Christ or Living without Context?

When you go to daily Mass you need to be aware of certain things. That Jesus is truly present. That the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith (LG11). And that social justice warriors confuse "praying" with "preying," for they prey upon your mind.

Take this excerpt from the Canadian Living With Christ booklet which contains the Mass readings for August 31, 2018.

Pope John Paul II wrote Sollicitudo Rei Socialis back in 1987 to mark his disappointment on the continued struggles of third world countries. The context is that this is written with the poorest of the poor in mind. Yet we are led to believe, when we open up our Mass booklet to see the readings, that the Church must shun what is beautiful. That us far too wealthy Canadians should open our Mass readings and be told that we must avoid costly sacred furnishings for the sake of the poor is dishonest and misleading. The fact is that us wealthy Canadians can more than easily give more money to support the poor, without sacrificing sacred beauty. We go to Disney. We buy cabins and extra vehicles. We put our kids in every sport under the sun. We can do more for the poor and hardly feel a pinch in the wallet. Beauty and sacred décor need not suffer. Maybe give us an option better than Development and Peace? Or maybe we're too busy paying for abuse settlements?

But the lack of context is laughable. For instance, the same Pope John Paul II wrote in 2003 in Ecclesia de Eucharista, when speaking specifically on sacred furnishings (i.e. true context):

"A woman, whom John identifies as Mary the sister of Lazarus, pours a flask of costly ointment over Jesus' head, which provokes from the disciples – and from Judas in particular (cf. Mt 26:8; Mk 14:4; Jn 12:4) – an indignant response, as if this act, in light of the needs of the poor, represented an intolerable “waste”. But Jesus' own reaction is completely different. While in no way detracting from the duty of charity towards the needy, for whom the disciples must always show special care – “the poor you will always have with you” (Mt 26, 11; Mk 14:7; cf. Jn 12:8) – he looks towards his imminent death and burial, and sees this act of anointing as an anticipation of the honour which his body will continue to merit even after his death, indissolubly bound as it is to the mystery of his person" (par. 47).     [emphasis mine]

Or further:

"Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no “extravagance”, devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist" (par. 48).

Thanks to Professor John Paul Meenan for having us study this document at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy long long ago. I am grateful that it stuck in my mind.

In any event, watch out for quick deceptions. Know your faith. Because you must always take heed lest someone seed untruth in your mind.

Especially when at Mass.