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Saturday, July 29, 2023

A Powerful Conversion Story: The Traditional Latin Mass Led Him Into the Church


Protestant seminarian finds home in Catholic Church through social media connection

I remember a friend once telling me about a man she was dating. He attended RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and did, indeed, become a Catholic if my memory serves. They didn't end up getting married, but my friend told me how he responded to the classes. "It's not much different from my Protestant faith." 

What does that say about the instruction? Nothing good!

It reminded me of a couple running the RCIA program at my former parish years ago. They described how they ignored the controversial issues that divide us from Protestants, like contraception and devotion to the Blessed Mother. They focused on those things that we held in common and ignored the troublesome issues. Talk about acting like rice bowl Catholic evangelists. "We'll give you the pleasant part of the truth so you're more likely to become a Catholic." 

Think about that for a minute. Isn't that the synodal way? Isn't that the Novus Ordo (NO) way? When Bugnini butchered the Mass he said he wanted to remove any shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren. That meant watering down the nature of the Mass as a sacrifice in atonement for sin, replacing it with a ceremonial meal. The consilium that gutted the Mass also reduced the idea of the ministerial role of the priest substituting the idea of him being the president of the assembly. Finally they blurred the reality of Transubtantiation, the bread and wine becoming HIM, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that most Catholics no longer believe the central teaching about the Mass?

The more I compare and study the two forms of the Roman Rite, the more I see how we were robbed. It also makes me understand why the faith is being systematically lost. When the books describing the rubrics (or rules) for how to celebrate the Mass describe the "altar" of sacrifice as a "table" and turn the priest into the host of the meal facing his guests instead of the essential minister of the sacrifice leading the people to God facing Him, why should the flock continue to believe that Jesus is really re-presented in the unbloody sacrifice of Calvary? It's just a memorial meal to share memories of Jesus and celebrate his life. Hang up the risen Christ and forget all that blood and gore.

We are living in challenging times. I believe part of the solution is to return to the Mass of the ages that made so many saints out of sinners. My husband and I are reading The Last Mass of Padre Pio. The Padre personally requested an indult from Pope Paul VI to never have to say the NO. He received it and, by the mercy of God, died in 1968 before full implementation of the new Mass in 1969 which he considered a "catastrophe."

 I will be sharing some passages from the book in future posts. 

And for a bit of irony. Actually, Archbishop Lefebvre echoed Padre Pio whom he had met. He asked for the Padre's blessing at their meeting. Padre Pio responded by asking for the archbishop's. He was always known for his humility.

I recommend the book. Reading it alongside Lex Orandiwhich compares the two forms of the Roman rite, is eye-opening.  

8 comments:

  1. https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/the-false-conciliar-church-is-even-more-anti-catholic-than-all-the-protestant-sects
    The (false) conciliar church is, in a sense, even more anti-Catholic because it is able to hide behind a trusted name: Catholic.

    https://catholiccandle.neocities.org/faith/nothing-good-conciliar-church
    Again, the conciliar church is a false religion and is a false church (Id.), like the heretical Anglican religion and other false religions. But a person might believe (superficially or confusedly) that there is some good in the conciliar church or other false churches. This belief is false and is the conciliar error of ecumenism.

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  2. Talking about Bugnini, and the removal from the Catholic Faith of all that divides us from our “separated brethren”, it reminded me of the words of the Apostle Paul who instead strengthened the division rather than minimize it:

    “7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

    8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (I Peter 2:7-8)

    What divides us, according to St Paul is unbelief. But how can they believe unless someone teaches them the fullness of the Faith to which they are called?

    “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom 10:14)

    Hear, believe, repent, confess, convert, and then there is no division remaining.

    But if the “preacher” himself doesn’t believe … there is no chance of conversion of others.

    We need to evangelize, not the “peripheries”, but at the heart.

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  3. @ Mister Aqua.

    It has been my experience, since my reversion/conversion to the Faith some 25 years ago, that the "peripheries" are in most N.O. parishes... sitting in the pews.

    @ Mary Ann.

    Very good piece, Miss Mary Ann. (I am going to forward it to some friends.) I completely agree you in all of this. 😃

    More and more of my solid, orthodox Catholic friends are finding the beauty of the TLM. They absolutely love it!

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  4. That sounds like Scott Hahns conversion from reading the early church fathers

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  5. I am a Catholic convert: came into Holy Mother Church 22 years ago and have NO regrets. My RCIA was friendly but I didn’t really, truly, learn about the Real Presence until after I was confirmed and started to talk with lay people?!?! That’s a problem. A few years later, I took some family members to a rather traditional-leaning novus ordo Mass. After it ended, I asked what they thought and they said it was “nice.” “Just like our (episcopal) church.” And you know what, if you are ignorant of the Real Presence, the novus ordo Mass is exactly the same as an episcopal service with (usually) worse music.

    RCIA felt like good Christian fellowship to me. When I was told I had to go through it in order to become Catholic at the Easter Vigil (which was a year away), I was disappointed but I figured I’d learn so much if it had to take so long. I didn’t. Thankfully, after I got in, God led me on a path to where I am now: a Traditional Catholic who looks forward to the Mass of the Saints whenever I can get it.

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  6. Reading any book by Bp. Sheen will provide more Catholic instruction than 2 years of RCIA.

    Start with "Remade for Happiness", then "Life Is Worth Living," then "Through the Year With Bp. Sheen."

    Not Catholic after that? You're hopeless.

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  7. Just got my copy of Lex Orandi

    https://loretopubs.org/lex-orandi.html

    Comprehensive. Great tip! Thanks for it.

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  8. Jason, I'm not posting your anti-Catholic bigotry. If you want to engage in conversation about Catholicism fine. I won't post your hateful bigotry.

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