...in montem sanctum tuum et in tabernacula tua

"From the beginning man has offered sacrifices in fulfillment of his obligations to God. Under the Old Law, sacrifices were divinely prescribed and regulated. At the temple in Jerusalem, smoke rose daily from the holocausts, and the blood of victims crimsoned the stones of the great altar. These sacrifices--pleasing as they were to God--were but types and figures of the one great sacrifice to come -- that of Calvary...

The Sacrifice of the Mass and that of Calvary are the same sacrifice, the 'one oblation,' because the Priest and Victim are the same -- Jesus Christ. The only difference is that on Calvary Christ offered Himself in a bloody manner; in the Mass He offers Himself in an unbloody manner...

When we participate...in the offering of Mass, we shall find that the cataracts of the deep are opened and the heavens rain down showers of grace. We shall find fountains of the merits of Christ pour their floods of benediction over our souls, that Christ, lifted up as on Calvary, draws our hearts to Himself."
(Rev. Ralph Gorman, C.P., Editor of The Sign, Preface to "The New Marian Missal," 1950)


One could never seriously write the above words as a description of a protestant communion service. These words of Fr. Gorman make no sense whatever unless applied to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; the liturgical and sacramental crown jewel of the Catholic Church.

How many of us stop to think about what the Mass "really is?" For this present discussion I don't really care if you're a "modern Mass Catholic," or a "TLM Catholic," I only care that you are a Catholic, loyal to the Holy Father -- Pope Benedict XVI.

That being established, I ask again, how many of us really stop to think about what the Mass really is?

I once heard a story of a Muslim fellow who said to a priest, "If I believed what you claim to believe about the Mass, I would fall on my face and not dare to look up until I was dismissed."

Think about that! If that Muslim believed that the Mass was the essential re-presentation of the sacrifice on Calvary of the Son of God to His Father for the redemption of sinners, AND that the consecration of the bread and wine changed them into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ--True God and True Man, he would fall on his face and not dare to look up until he was dismissed!

And we? Many of us sit like bums at a bus station, reading our bulletins and talking with those around us. Some of us even bring toys for our children to play with in the pews -- so they run no risk of boredom (and no risk of learning obedience).

What DO we really believe about the Mass? Make no mistake; our "operative belief" will show in our chosen attitude and actions.

What does my attitude say about what I believe? What do my actions say? Am I conscious of going "unto the altar of God"...unto His holy mount, and into His tabernacles?

That IS what the Mass IS. We either honor God or blaspheme Him every time we dare to be present at the Holy Sacrifice.

Now, to me, THAT's a sobering thought.

"Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa..."