Fr. Michael Rodriguez sent me this, saying I was free to use it as I saw appropriate. I see that it is appropriate to share it with you. I think these points might be covered elsewhere on this blog in previous Fr. Rodriguez posts, but maybe not as completely as they are presented here.
by Fr. Michael RodrÃguez
(1) The
venerable and immemorial Roman Mass, including in its exquisite ritual detail,
is theocentric—centered on and
directed to Almighty God. It gives
constant glory to the Triune God: a
sacrifice of adoration, thanksgiving, propitiation, and impetration, directed to God, both theologically and ritually.
(2) The
venerable Roman Mass (Traditional Latin Mass) is the “Mass of the Ages,” it is
the Mass which has always been
offered by the one, holy, Catholic Church.
Thus, it is the true and proper Catholic Mass. This is the Mass which has been handed down
by the tradition of Rome, the city
consecrated by the blood of two princes, the holy apostles, St. Peter and St.
Paul. It is the masterpiece of two-thousand years of Catholic Tradition, life, and
worship.
(3) By means of
the Traditional Latin Mass we are able to be supremely faithful to our Catholic religion, i.e. faithful to the (exact
same) law of belief (lex credendi)
and the (exact same) law of prayer (lex
orandi) which have been professed by all our ancestors in the Faith,
stretching back to the Apostles themselves.
(4) The
venerable Roman Mass, including in its exquisite ritual detail, professes,
manifests and honors the ineffable Mystery
which takes place: Jesus Christ, the one
High Priest, offers the sacrifice of His life, through the ministry of His
priests, in an unbloody manner. Our
Redeemer returns mystically to die for us.
(5) The
venerable Roman Mass, including in its exquisite ritual detail, professes,
manifests, reverences, and adores the ineffable Mystery which takes place:
the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, together with His Soul and His
Divinity, are made present and real through the Miracle of Transubstantiation
at the time of the Consecration.
(6) It is a
Dogma of the Catholic Faith that the worship of Adoration (latria) must be given to Christ present in the Eucharist. The venerable Roman Mass, including in its
exquisite ritual detail, carries this out to perfection.
(7) The
venerable Roman Mass highlights the fact that Holy Mass is Christ’s own
sacrifice, holy, perfect, and in every point complete, through and with which
each one of the faithful nobly honors God, confessing at one and the same time
one’s own nothingness and the supreme dominion which God has over one.
(8) The
classical Roman Mass is unchanging. It is characterized by a holy permanence
and stability. This is extremely
important because it is a reflection of the lex
credendi (the Faith) which does not change.
God is immutable, the holy truths of the Catholic Faith are immutable,
Holy Scripture is immutable . . . Holy
Mass is immutable.
(9) The
classical Roman Mass is universal. It unites us not only with all the
Catholics of the world (space) but also with all our Catholic ancestors across
the centuries (time), especially the throngs of saints whose souls were
nourished and strengthened by this very same heavenly Liturgy.
(10) Our
Ancient Rite expresses the Roman Catholic Faith clearly, fully, and with
sublime beauty and noble precision, e.g. the mysteries of the Blessed Trinity
and the Incarnation, the holiness and grandeur of Almighty God, the mystery of grace
and reality of sin, the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels and
the saints, the Mass as the Sacrifice of Christ offered to the Eternal Father
for our salvation, the priesthood as a perpetuation of Christ’s own Priesthood,
the hierarchical nature of the Church, death, judgment, heaven, and hell.
(11) The
venerable Roman Mass professes, manifests, and extols the following effects of
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: the most
Blessed Trinity is adored, honored, and glorified, Jesus Christ renews His
Death on the Cross, Jesus Christ intercedes for the Church, the Virgin Mary and
the saints are honored, the Church is aided in its battle against the devil and
in its effort to reach heaven, the holy souls in purgatory are freed.
(12) The orations (prayers) of the Traditional
Latin Mass express, transmit, and extol
Catholic doctrine, e.g. Catholic teaching on hell, divine judgment, God’s
wrath, punishment for sin, the wickedness of sin as the greatest evil, detachment
from the world, purgatory, the souls of the departed, Christ’s kingship on
earth, the Church Militant, the triumph of the Catholic Faith, the evils of
heresy, schism and error, the conversion of non-Catholics, the merits of the
saints and miracles.
