The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite: The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

It is important that Catholics know everything they can about their faith. This includes (for Roman Catholics) the Mass and its various forms. Even though people may not prefer the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (also known as the "Tridentine Mass"), they should at least be knowledgeable about it. To aid in the catechesis on the Mass, this article is the first of several articles I hope to write about giving some explanation of parts of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This first article deals with the prayers at the foot of the altar, the event which starts the Mass, both with or without the Asperges (the sprinkling rite) first. If you haven't heard of them before, the prayers of the foot of the altar were taken out of the Mass when the ordinary form was conceived.

The prayers at the foot of the altar start with a "mini Divine Office session". The psalm used for this session is Psalm 42, Judica me, Deus (or in English, Judge me, O God) with the antiphon "Introibo ad Altare Dei. Ad Deum, qui laetificat juventutem meam". Like the psalms used in the hours of the Divine Office, the psalm used in this "session" is split into parts. If you have never participated in the recitation of one of the hours of the Divine Office with a group before, the people are divided into 2 groups (a left side and a right side) and each of the psalms in the hour is divided into "paragraphs", with each side alternating paragraphs of the psalm. The same happens here with the priest taking one side and the other ministers taking the other. The psalm ends (like it does in hours of the Divine Office) with the Gloria Patri  (Glory Be) and then repetition of the antiphon for the psalm again.

The only time that this "mini Divine Office session" is not done is in Masses for the Dead and any Masses said between Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) until the start of the Mass for Holy Thursday. After that, the priest adds "Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini." ("Our help is in the name of the Lord"), which the other ministers reply with "Qui fecit coelum et terram." ("Who made heaven and earth.").

After that, the priest says his Confiteor. The Confiteor in the extraordinary form is separated into the priest's and the people's Confiteor unlike in the ordinary form where there is no separation. Another thing you might notice is that compared to the Confiteor in the ordinary form, there is a bigger list of saints which you are confessing to. In the ordinary form, the Confiteor omits the extra saints in the first part and shortens it in the second part to "omnes Angelorum et Sanctos" ("all the angels and saints"). After the priest is done with his Confiteor, the other ministers will say "Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam aeternum", and the priest responds with "Amen". Here is a table showing the changes to the Confiteor (in the Latin):

1962 Roman Missal

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Ioanni Baptistæ, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et vobis, fratres: quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Ioannem Baptistam, sanctos Apostolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes Sanctos, et vos, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

1970 Roman Missal

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, et vobis fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, omnes Angelos et Sanctos, et vos, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum.

The other ministers then begin the people's Confiteor. The wording is similar to the priest's Confiteor, but the words "et vobis, fratres", "et vos, fratres" ("and you, brethren") with "et tibi, pater" and "et te, pater" ("and you, Father"). When the other ministers are finished with the people's Confiteor, the priest says "Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam aeternum", and the other ministers respond with "Amen".

The priest then says "Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum, tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.". These words that the priest says are not present in the ordinary form. While the priest says the words "Indulgentiam, absolutionem, ...", the other ministers make the sign of the cross. If you have ever wondered why many people (in the ordinary form) incorrectly make the sign of the cross as the priest is saying "May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to life everlasting", it is because it was done during the "Indulgentiam, absolutionem, ..." in the older form of the Mass. The correct posture in the ordinary form when the priest says the "May Almighty God..." is to continue to keep your hands folded as in prayer.

After this, there is a series of exchanges between the priest and the other ministers. After this series of exchanges is complete, the priest says "Oremus" ("Let us pray"), and ascends to the altar where he says in a low voice the "Aufer a nobis" prayer. Once he has said the "Aufer a nobis", the priest then proceeds to reverence the altar with a kiss saying before the kiss, "Oramus te, Domine, per merita Sanctorum tuorum", and then after the kiss, "quorum reliquiae hic sunt, et omnium Sanctorum: ut indulgere digneris Omnia peccata mea. Amen.".

At this point then, the prayers at the foot of the altar are finished and Mass starts to look just like it does in the ordinary form at this point with the start of the Introit (usually done by the choir unless it is a Low Mass). After the introit, the priest starts the Kyrie. However, unlike the 2-part call and response method of the Kyrie with each part of the Kyrie being said once by both priest and people, starting with the priest, in the ordinary form, the Kyrie in the extraordinary form is done with each part of the Kyrie being said 3 times (altogether), alternating between the priest and the other ministers starting with the priest. My point is made here:

1962 Roman Missal

Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Christe, eleison
Christe, eleison
Christe, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie, eleison

1970 Roman Missal

Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Christe, eleison
Christe, eleison
Kyrie, eleison
Kyrie, eleison

With the fact that the prayers at the foot of the altar were done by (only) the priest and the other ministers in the sanctuary (along with the prevalence of the Low Mass), I can see how many people would not "pay attention and pray the rosary" at Mass. I would encourage you to attend an extraordinary form Mass in your area. If you don't "get it" the first time, go back again the next time it is offered. Eventually, you will have an appreciation for the older form of the Mass even though you may like the ordinary form much more.

So, have you gained anything from this article? If so, please share it in the comment box below. I realize I can't cover every little detail in a single blog post, but I try to cover as much as I can. I will also be writing an article covering active participation by the laity in the extraordinary form in the future as well.

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Right now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am also just about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics (and other Christians can use it too).

Remarks on the Possiblity of the Revival of the Subdeacon within the Roman Rite

About a week ago, I read a blog post on Father Z's WDTPRS blog about subdeacons from the Eastern Rites being used for a Solemn High Mass (in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite). In it, he advocates for the order of subdeacon to be brought back in the Roman Rite. I agree with him to a point, but I realize that much catechesis is needed first to accurately inform the laity.

In case you have never heard of a subdeacon before, it is one who is (literally) "under a deacon". The job of the subdeacon within the Mass is to assist the deacon and do a few other things as well such as reading the epistle. Within the course of holy orders, the subdeacon is below the order of deacon, but higher than all of the minor orders.

In 1972, Pope Paul VI released the motu proprio Ministeria Quaedam. In it, the definition of a cleric within the church was redefined (to be deacon and higher) and the minor orders (as back before Vatican II) and the subdeacon were eliminated and in their place, the minor orders of lector and acolyte were kept, but they were rebranded as "ministries" and thus open to selected laymen (and seminarians on their way to the diaconate and priesthood) to receive them. The exception to this motu proprio is certain groups out there which celebrate the Extraordinary Form exclusively, such as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), which have been allowed to retain the subdiaconate and the minor orders. This worked out until Pope Benedict XVI put out Summorum Pontificum back in 2007, allowing universal permission for any priest within the Roman Rite to celebrate the pre-conciliar form of the Roman Rite without any special permission from his bishop first.

With Summorum Pontificum, there was a renewed interest in the different forms of Mass, including the Solemn High Mass. Unfortunately, things caught a snag in regards to the Solemn High Mass. In order to have one, you need 3 ministers: the priest (obviously), the deacon, and the subdeacon. Due to the big time difference between 1965 and 2007 any proper (ordained) subdeacon, aside from the handful of approved groups devoted to the older form of the Mass which got permission to retain all four minor orders and the subdeacon,  had moved on and received his ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. According to the liturgical guidelines, priests and deacons can dress down to the subdeacon and there is also a provision allowing someone who has received the minor order of acolyte to vest and act as a subdeacon during the Mass if a real subdeacon could not be found (with some exceptions such as not wearing the maniple and not being able to purify the sacred vessels).

Some have suggested that the order of subdeacon be revived in the Roman Rite. There are two concerns that I see that would have to be addressed. First, would the subdeacon be considered a major order as it has traditionally been or would it now be recognized as a minor order as it is with the Eastern rites? I think if the order of subdeacon were brought back in the Roman Rite, it would have to be considered a minor order since the definition of cleric was changed to start with the diaconate. However, if the order of subdeacon were changed to that of a minor order, this would affect those groups which exclusively celebrate the older form of the Mass such as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), but I don't think things for those groups would really change.

Second, what kind of guidelines would subdeacons have to follow? In years past, once a man was ordained a subdeacon, he had to live out the promise of celibacy (if a man received the minor orders, but stopped before he was ordained a subdeacon, he could still get married with no problems). In the Roman Rite, the subdeacon was not allowed to be married. This is before Pope Paul VI brought back the permanent diaconate. For the good of the church, if the subdiaconate were to be brought back, they would follow similar guidelines to what is already established for deacons (transitory and permanent). These days, there would have to be the option of admitting married men to the subdiaconate just as married men can be admitted to the diaconate. The subdeacon who is married would still have do as a married deacon does and take a vow of celibacy.

Third, if the subdiaconate were brought back, what functions would the subdeacon have at Mass in the ordinary form? In the extraordinary form, the functions of the subdeacon are clearly documented. In the ordinary form, we only have reference to the functions of the subdeacon in as far as he was to serve the priest and deacon, read the first and second readings before the gospel, assist the priest in giving communion if needed, and then helping to purify the vessels after communion. If the subdiaconate were to be brought back, I would guess that he would be the first candidate to assume those duties before any man holding the ministries of acolyte or lector (depending on the given task).

These are just some of the issues that would have to be addressed for the subdiaconate to (officially) come back in the Roman Rite. Right now, the Eastern churches sur iuris in communion with Rome still do ordain men to the subdiaconate. At a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form, an Eastern subdeacon is allowed to fulfill the role of subdeacon within the Mass (and do everything that a real subdeacon does). Before that though, the Eastern subdeacon needs to get permission from his own bishop first, and he uses the vestments that he normally uses in his rite. If the Eastern subdeacon (upon getting his bishop's permission first) does not have his own eastern vestments available with him at the Roman Rite church that the Solemn High Mass is being celebrated at, he can wear the vestments that a Roman Rite subdeacon wears.

Lastly, the subdiaconate and the minor orders are considered sacramentals instead of sacraments. This is mostly because the subdiaconate and the minor orders were something instituted by the Church and do not have divine origins (as in the institution of the priesthood) or apostolic origins (as in the institution of the diaconate). Since the subdiaconate (and the minor orders as well) do not leave an  indelible mark on the soul, there is no need for the subdeacon to be laicised if a situation warrants a man to leave the subdiaconate.

So what do you think of this issue? Should the order of subdeacon be brought back in the Roman Rite or not? I think that it's possible, but much catechesis is needed first to accurately inform the laity. Tell me what you think in the comment box below. If I am missing some information or if I have some wrong information in this post, please let me know via the comment box below as well.

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Right now, I don't have any updates for you in the way of app updates for my windows phone apps. Yes, I am working on app updates. The reason for me taking a long time between updates is that I want to do some extra testing so I can be sure that I can squash as many bugs as I can before starting a new major version of my media player app and my boy scout app and things have have been somewhat hectic for me around home. I am just about finished with a prayer app designed for (primarily) Catholics (and other Christians can use it too).

While you're learning about recursion, why not try some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. If you have a Keurig machine, the monks also have k-cups for purchase as well (known as "monk shots") Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with my endeavors as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.

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Habemus Papam

Yes, you read the title correctly. We do, indeed, have a new successor to the chair of Peter. The new pope is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (from Argentina).

Update (17:50 EDT): corrected the name of the new pope

This conclave's time length to choose a new pope was 3 days. While this is a big difference from the record for longest time taken to choose a new pope (3 years), I am sure we are all glad that the new pope was chosen before Easter. There is no word yet on which name the new pope has chosen.

Update (16:30 EDT): The (new) Pope has chosen the name "Francis"

I wish the new pope well as he takes his place as the new successor of Peter. Let us pray for him, so that he will do his job well. The new pope happens to be a Jesuit, so today is a big day for the Society of Jesus and all of the high schools and universities they run, including the one I attend (Wheeling Jesuit University).

On a side note, it has not been made known whether the new pope enjoys Mystic Monk Coffee or not. To celebrate the choosing of the new Holy Father, do it with some delicious Mystic Monk Coffee? Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts for friends and family as well.

Ten Questions and Answers about Eastern Catholicism for Roman Catholics

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
    --George Santayana

In our history of Catholicism, this quot is certainly true. Contrary to popular belief, the term "Catholic Church" is not synonymous with the term "Roman Catholic Church". If you are a cradle Catholic or a recent convert to Catholicism, you might be surprised to know that there is a whole other side to Catholicism that you might have heard little to nothing about in your catechism classes. Yes, I am talking about the Eastern Catholic Churches. In the past, ignorance of Eastern Catholicism by Roman Catholics has lead to persecution that could have been easily avoided. To close this gap on the modern generation of people, I have made a simple Q&A which answers some popular questions about Eastern Catholicism.

1. What is Eastern Catholicism?
   
   Eastern Catholicism refers to the churches (in the East) which are autonomous, but are in full communion with Rome. Each Catholic Church has its own patriarch (the pope is considered the patriarch for the western church) which manages that Catholic Church, the pope is considered to be the first among equals. Even though Western Catholicism and Eastern Catholicism do have different aspects, they are still catholic in that both share in the same beliefs, professed in the Nicene Creed and the Apostle's Creed. However, the ways in which those beliefs are expressed differ in the East.
2. I am a Roman Catholic. Can I still fulfill my Sunday obligation by attending Mass at an Eastern Rite Church?
   
   Yes, any Catholic can fulfill his or here Sunday obligation by attending Mass at any Catholic Church in communion with Rome regardless of rite. This being said, we are still bound to mainly participate in the rite in which we belong (if you are a Roman Catholic, even though you may attend Mass many times at an Eastern Catholic Church, you are still a Roman Catholic). If, for some reason, you feel called by God to change the rite in which you belong to and are serious about it, it is possible. If you want me to explain more about the process of changing rites, please indicate so in the comment box below, and I will address it in my next article.
   
   There are also rites other than the Roman Catholic Church which exist in the Western church as well, but the explanation of those is not the purpose of this article.
3. Isn't Eastern Orthodox (or Oriental Orthodox) the same as Eastern Catholic?
   
   Not quite. Many people think of the Catholic Church being, on one side, the Roman Catholics, and on the other side, all of the Eastern Christians are grouped into the Eastern/Oriental Orthodox, which are apart from Rome due to schism. This thought is categorization is false. It is true that the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox have the same beliefs, liturgy, and teachings as their Catholic counterparts, but the main difference is that Eastern Catholics are in communion with Rome and Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox are not. Except for one case, each Eastern Catholic Church has an Eastern/Oriental Orthodox counterpart. The exception to this is the Maronite Catholic Church, which has never separated from Rome.
   
   It is because of the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox not being in communion with Rome that Catholics (whether western or eastern) cannot attend an Orthodox Divine Liturgy as the Sunday obligation.
4. If I attend Mass at a Catholic church which is a different rite from which I belong to, do I have to observe the Eucharistic fast for that rite in order to receive communion?
   
   No, each Catholic is bound to observe the Eucharistic fasting time (in order to receive the Eucharist) which his or her respective rite has set fourth. In other words, Roman Catholics still observe the 1 hour fast before communion. For Eastern Catholics, even though you may attend Mass at a Roman Rite Church, you must still observe the fasting time set forth by your respective rite. However, if the rite of the church in which you are going to for Mass has a longer fasting period than your own rite does, there is nothing to stop you from matching that amount of time you must fast before receiving the Eucharist.
5. Do I receive communion in an Eastern Catholic Mass the same way that I receive communion at a Roman Catholic Mass?
   
   No. All of the Eastern Catholic rites in existence do not have communion in the hand. In contrast to Roman Catholics, where the norm for receiving communion is on the tongue while you are kneeling, the norm for receiving communion in the Eastern rites is by intinction while you are standing.
6. Why do Eastern Catholics use leavened bread instead of unleavened bread for the Eucharist?
   
   This is a matter of tradition. Traditionally, the western church has used unleavened bread and the eastern church has used leavened bread. Both are considered valid matter for confecting the Eucharist. The exception to this is the Maronite Rite, which still uses intinction for distributing communion, but uses unleavened bread (like the Roman Rite) instead of leavened bread.
7. Will I do much singing if I go to an Eastern Catholic Mass?
   
   Yes, you will. The Eastern rites do not have a history of using instruments to accompany the people singing. In fact, the Eastern rites have much more singing in the Mass than the Western rites do (almost everything is chanted, including the readings). If you are not good at singing, still put your heart and soul into your singing, as you are probably not the only one in this situation.
8. As a Roman Catholic, can I go to an Eastern Catholic priest for the sacrament of Confession?
   
   Yes, you can. As long as the priest has faculties to hear confessions, any Catholic priest (in communion with Rome) may hear your confession and grant you absolution.
9. Do the Eastern Catholics recognize the same saints as Roman Catholics?
   
   The answer to this question is "partially". Both westerners and easterners recognize the same saints up until the time of the great schism in 1054 (if I am wrong about this, please let me know so I can correct this). After the schism, there was a divide in which saints were recognized as saints in the East and in the West. As part of the reconciliation between Rome and those in the Eastern rites which wanted to be in communion with Rome again, the Eastern Catholic Churches recognize the same saints in which the Roman Catholic Church does. However, the reverse is not true. There are some people recognized as saints by the Orthodox churches, but not by the Roman Catholic Church, which got "imported" as saints for the respective church's calendar when that Eastern church reunited with Rome. An example of this would be Saint Gregory Palamas, which the Eastern Orthodox churches recognize as a saint (and the Byzantine Catholic churches also recognize by extension), but the Roman Catholic Church does not recognize as a saint.
10. Are Eastern Catholic priest bound to celibacy like Roman Catholic priests are?
    
    This may surprise some, but the answer to this question is also "partially". The Eastern Catholic Churches do have a history of a married priesthood. This means that married men (in those rites) are allowed to be ordained priests, but priests cannot marry. A married priest has as much power as a celibate priest does, so he can do things like confect a valid Eucharist and hear confessions just as well as a celibate priest can. If a priest is married and his wife dies, the priest cannot marry again and is then bound to celibacy for the rest of his life. This said, celibacy, even though it may be optional in the Eastern rites, is still strongly emphasized as an ideal for priests. This is manifested in the fact that, even though married men can be ordained priests, the bishops in the Eastern rites MUST be celibate. Deacons in the Eastern churches, like in the Roman Catholic Church, may either be celibate or married.
    
    As far as the Eastern rites and the married priesthood goes, things are a bit different here in the United States. In the US, a married priest still has all rights and responsibilities granted to him as his celibate counterparts. However, due to conflicts in the early part of Eastern Catholic history here in the US between Eastern Catholics and Roman Catholic bishops, the married priesthood is not fully recognized in the US. During the conflict, some Roman Catholic bishops offered no aid to Eastern Catholics and did things like denying faculties to Eastern Catholic priests to offer Mass in their dioceses. As a result of this conflict, the Holy See made a decree that stated that only celibate or widowed Eastern Catholic priests are allowed in the US (and all married priest should be recalled). As time went on, this was softened (as in married priests being allowed to live and work as priests in the US), but the fact still remains that only celibate men may be ordained as priests in the Eastern Rite churches here in the United States. Some Eastern Catholic bishops have gone around this by sending (married) priesthood candidates back to the "old country" (the land they were in before coming to the United States) to be ordained, and then bring them back to the United States, but this behavior is unusual.
    
    As a further note, there are a few Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, which has opted to give up its historical right to have married priests.

 I will end by saying that the number of Catholics Churches does not equal the number of Catholic rites in existence. The Roman Rite is spread out all across the world, but it is still considered one church. In the East, in some instances, you have "national" churches. These churches may share the same rite, but they are considered separate Catholic Churches. An example of this can be found in the Ruthenian Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which both use the Byzantine Rite.

I hope this has sparked your curiosity to learn more about our faith and about the other rites of the Church. Maybe, instead of going to the Catholic Church you usually attend on Sunday, try attending an Eastern Catholic church in your area one time. The USCCB is gracious enough to provide a list of eparchies (the Eastern Catholic equivalent of a diocese) here in the US, and from there you can use it to find the closest Eastern Catholic Church to you. If you have thoughts or more questions about Eastern Catholicism, please post them in the comment box below, and I will address them in a future article.

link to list of eparchies: http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-eparchies.cfm

Let us also not forget to pray for unity between the Eastern and Western churches, so that we may (truly) be "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church".

I know how hard it is for some people to wake up in the morning without coffee. If you are going to drink coffee, why not drink it like a mystic monk? Some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer (or what's left of it), they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts as well.

Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version is (still) currently in Microsoft Apphub certification. BSA Eagle Tracker will also be getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.

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Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE

A Reflection on Today's Readings for the Memorial of St. Bernard

Well, this week is a big one in the Church. We have so many feasts of saints in the church this week. Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Bernard, one of the great monastics of the Church.

link to today's daily scripture readings for Mass: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082012.cfm

Our first reading comes from the book of Ezekiel. In this reading, God first says to Ezekiel that he will take away "the delight of your eyes, but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears." God does exactly that, and Ezekiel is instructed by God not to mourn for his loss.The people, wondering what all this means, asked Ezekiel and he says the following:

Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
Say to the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride,
the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.
The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword.
Ezekiel shall be a sign for you:
all that he did you shall do when it happens.
Thus you shall know that I am the LORD.
You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.

God says that he will take what is dear to them and ruin it. At this point in time, the Israelites were in a state of exile. God gently reminds the Israelites that they are still in exile and does not allow the them to mourn because of their past sins. All this is a part of the preparation for the coming of Christ.

In our Responsorial Psalm, we have the response of "You have forgotten God who gave you birth."In this psalm, God is angry at the Israelites for forgetting him and putting idols in place of him. This psalm very well applies to today's society as well. American society has grown into a very egotistical one. In the word egotistical, we find the word "ego", which, in Latin, means "I". In other words, our society is all about "me", the individual. With all the bad things that happen in society, like, for example, abortion, the mercy-less killing of the unborn, or contraception, the (unnatural) prevention of new life from existing, we can very well say we have forgotten God and put ourselves in the place of God.

In the gospel reading, we have the familiar story of a rich young man approaching Jesus and asking what you need to inherit eternal life. In short, Jesus says that you must keep his commandments (the ten commandments). What follows is an indication that following the rules is simply not enough:

"If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."

After this, we read that the young man went away saddened, "for he had many possessions." Now, from a literalistic point of view, we could come to the conclusion that besides following the 10 commandments God gave us, we need to sell everything we have. Some people, such as Saint Francis of Assisi, have done this, but those are the more extreme cases. The real point of this is to say that wealth is not a bad thing, but the wealth (or anything else we hold dear to ourselves) should stand in the way of following Christ and also what you do with that wealth matters. We should not hoard our wealth, but freely give from it without expectation of return to help the poor where we live.

In all of our readings, we find a theme of putting God before all else. Not doing so will result in dire consequences for us all. As I mentioned previously, a great bit of American society has turned away from God and turned to false idols instead. Because of this, we can see the horrible results of this turning away in society today. In an egotistical society, the poor and needy are the hardest hit because everyone cares only about the well-being of himself or herself, so in a way, "I" am more important than helping my brothers and sisters in need. The first step to make right is, as a society, to turn to God once again and ask for his mercy and forgiveness.Without God, a society (or even a civilization) cannot exist and bear good fruits. The sacrament of Confession is a great resource in this regard. After all, it is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles that one must "Be penitent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. That when the times of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send him who hath been preached unto you, Jesus Christ". (Acts 3:19)

For the record, I am not a priest or deacon (yet), so I can't call this a "homily" (yet). I am just a layman, but also with the feeling that God is calling me to the priesthood. Please continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood and for society to turn back to God.

Comments on this and suggestions for improvement are very much welcome, as this is some "practice" for when I have to start writing real homilies. Please submit comments and suggestions in the comment box below.

I know how hard it is for some people to wake up in the morning without coffee. If you are going to drink coffee, why not drink it like a mystic monk? Some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase) is what you really need when it comes to coffee. Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer (or what's left of it), they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well. The coffee (or tea) also makes for great gifts as well.

Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). The update for the paid version of Mobile Media Manager is out, but my last submission update for the free version in Microsoft Apphub certification failed, so release of the update to the free version will be a few days (< 7). BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.

BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE

A Prayer of Thanksgiving after Recieving the Eucharist

For a while now, I've been experimenting with the text of a prayer that I came up with one day during daily Mass. I know that this is simpler than and less than other prayers designated for after receiving the Eucharist. However, if you like it and/or it benefits you in some way, shape, or form, I am happy to be of service to you in this manner:

I give thanks to thee, O Lord, for thou hast blessed me with many gifts from thy bounty, but most of all, thou hast given me the gift of the body and blood, soul and divinity, of thine own dearly beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that I have received this great gift, O Lord, I humbly pray that you keep me safe from the evil one and I submit to you,  so that you may use me to accomplish thy will in the world today, and may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ lead me to eternal life.

     Amen.

Again, this is something I came up with myself one day and gradually fine-tuned it until I released it for public use now. If you know of any way to, perhaps, "improve" this prayer, or to share your own prayers you might have come up with, please share them in the comment box below. If you have any other comments on this, I welcome them in the comment box below as well.
You can also find me on twitter (twitter username is @rctechgeek). Feel free to subscribe to my rss feed as well. I am now on Tumblr now as well (link to Tumblr is http://www.tumblr.com/blog/catholictechgeek), so please follow me on Tumblr too.

I am also working on a "prayer reminder app" for Windows Phone. This app is designed with Catholics in mind, but any Christian (not just Catholics) can use this app. More details will be coming in further blog posts.

If you are in a state of prayer (excluding fasting) and are feeling thirsty, drink some tasty Mystic Monk Coffee (use this link or click on the picture below to access the store and purchase). Trust me, it's good coffee (in most instances, much better than Starbucks coffee) and you won't regret buying some (just keep it away from your computer keyboard or laptop/tablet). For the summer, they are also offering Iced Coffee as well. If you like tea more than coffee, they also offer tea. Using the link (or picture below) to buy the coffee (or tea) helps the monks out and helps me with college expenses as well.

Feel free to try out my apps for Windows Phone: Mobile Media Manager, a media player app I made which has some features which (I feel) are missing from the system Zune player, and BSA Eagle Tracker, an app that boy scouts can use to track their progress to Eagle Scout (when the scout handbook isn't always handy). New versions of the media player with new features/bug fixes is coming within a week (most likely sooner than this, but definitely within 2 weeks) of passing Microsoft Apphub certification. BSA Eagle Tracker is also getting a bug fix for an obscure bug I noticed recently.

BSA Eagle Tracker download: http://bit.ly/Mm1Upo
Mobile Media Manager (paid version) download: http://bit.ly/y3rf6V
Mobile Media Manager (free version) download: http://bit.ly/xGCsWE

Back to School: Simple Things to Enrich the Prayer Life of Catholic Students

Well, it's about that time of year again. The time where the freedom of summer fades away and the shackles of school are once again bound to children. This being said, this is a great time to think about things you can do to nurture your prayer and sacramental life. Here, I provide a short list

• Pray Daily
    I can't emphasize this one enough. If you don't take time out of your busy schedule for the day to pray, it is like telling God that you don't want to nurture and strengthen the relationship between you and him. Any time used for prayer works certainly does not go to waste.
• Attend Daily Mass
    Receiving our Lord in the Eucharist (if you haven't committed a mortal sin) every Sunday is certainly good. However, we should try to receive the Eucharist as much as possible. Daily Mass allows us to hear the word of God and to receive Jesus in the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist. In fact, who WOULDN'T want to receive Jesus everyday?
• Pray the Rosary
     Having a devotion to Our Lady is highly recommended and something we should strive to have. The rosary is a powerful spiritual weapon, so powerful that "The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies." Satan obviously hates this and does all he can to derail it. One of the promises of Our Lady is "It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things." The goal of the church is the salvation of souls. In this day and age, we need to do all that we can to help with this. I am sure you can find some time in your day to pray the rosary, and it doesn't have to be the whole 5 decades (although the full 5 decades is the optimal goal). If you can only say 1 or 2 decades, say them. If you need more convincing, Our Lady has said that "Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life." and "Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise." (more promises of our lady can be found at http://www.ourladyweb.com/mary-rosary-about.html, parts in quotes in this paragraph are also taken from this link).
• Attend Adoration/Benediction when Offered
    Praying before the Blessed Sacrament is a wonderful thing to do. With Adoration/Benediction, Jesus is out there and right in front of you, so you can talk with him. Actually, with prayer, you always talk with God, but this allows you to spend some personal prayer time with him. Spending time doing this will definitely strengthen your prayer life, and the prayer life of the parish community in which you are a part of.
• Go to Confession
     Even if you haven't been to confession in quite a while, GO! Frequent confession helps us to stay in a pure state and renew ourselves with God, as sin (both mortal and venial) blackens the soul and makes the divide between you and God even bigger. Let us be reminded, that on the Dies Irae (or Day of Wrath), even 1(!) MORTAL sin can keep you out Heaven, Permanently. Confess your sins to the priest in both number (how many times you did the sin) and kind (basically, the type of sin, like sexual sins, for example), and be truly sorry for what sins you have committed. The priest will grant you absolution from your sins, and will most likely give you a penance to do. Part of being truly sorry for your sins is trying your very best to stay away from committing that sin (or anything that may cause you to commit that sin).

This is just a small list of things that students can do to strengthen their prayer life. If you are already doing all of this and want something a little more advanced, pray the Divine Office (a.k.a. Liturgy of the Hours).


And now, a final few words for students either going off to college for the first time or returning to college. Make sure that you continue to go to Mass even if it is the "unpopular" thing to do. Once you stop going to Mass, you sever a big connection in your prayer life between God and you. Prayer and attending Mass on Sunday (or even more frequent, like the suggestion for Daily Mass given above) help you stay "in sync" with God, and things can only get better.

So, do you already do any of these suggestions? Have I inspired you to start doing any of these suggestions? Do you have any thoughts or questions about this? Please make all known via the comment box below, or via e-mail (e-mail address is catholictechgeek@gmail.com). If you send it via e-mail, I will try to cover your query at the end of my next article (or maybe, perhaps, a post in the comment box). You can also follow me on twitter as well (username is @rctechgeek).

What happened to the Leonine Prayers?

What ever happened to the reciting of the Leonine Prayers after Mass?

To give you some background on the Leonine Prayers:  Back in the days where the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (a.k.a. Tridentine Mass) was the only form of the Roman Rite, Pope Leo XIII asked that the Leonine Prayers be said after every low Mass. When the Novus Ordo came out, the imposition (in other words, forcing) of reciting the Leonine Prayers was suppressed, according to Inter Oecumenici, a document put out by the Consilium of Sacred Congregation of Rites. This means that the Leonine Prayers were not required to be said after Mass.

However, there is spiritual benefit from reciting these prayers. Certainly, with Pope Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum, this tradition has come back for low Masses in the Extraordinary Form. Believe it or not, these prayers can still be said after what would be the equivalent of a low Mass in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (a.k.a. Novus Ordo). I would certainly say that those prayers SHOULD be said after the equivalent of a low Mass in the Ordinary Form. Those prayers contain some big spiritual gems.

If you don't know what the Leonine Prayers actually consists of (I give the Latin, with the English in parentheses): the sequence of prayers consists of 3 Ave Marias (Hail Marys), 1 Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen), 1 Saint Michael Exorcism Prayer (short form) (a.k.a. Prayer to Saint Michael), and 1 Cor Jesu. If you want the full text of these prayer (either to get started or as a guide), I have the full text of all the prayers uploaded, with Latin on the left side and English on the right side.

Leonine Prayers download: http://bit.ly/poJ59q

I've started the tradition of saying these prayers at my parish after daily Mass (since daily Mass is the closest thing to a low Mass). The amount of people I get varies, but there's always 1-3 people that always say it with me every time without fail. Another thing: If the Latin version of the prayers is an impediment for (full) participation for many people, do the Leonine Prayers in the vernacular. We should be doing anything and everything to make it easier for EVERYONE to participate, so if the vernacular is what gets the most people to do it, use the vernacular instead of the Latin. If the people aren't comfortable with the Latin and you are using the vernacular, you should probably wait AT LEAST a few months before engaging the people to make the suggestion to recite the prayers in Latin.

With all that is going on in the world, we certainly need extra prayers, and this is one way to get them. The St. Michael prayer is exceptionally good because with Satan and his many temptations these days, we really need God's help through the intercession of Saint Michael.

So, with that, do you already recite the Leonine Prayers in your parish after every low Mass-equivalent? Are you interested in getting this started at your parish? Do you have any other thoughts on this? Please let them be known via the comment box below. You can also follow me on Twitter (username is @rctechgeek) or e-mail me (e-mail address is catholictechgeek@gmail.com).

An Example of Anglican Mass Settings in the Roman Rite

A while back, I did a post (found here) on how it's possible for Anglican Mass settings to be used within the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (with some modifications). Well, now I (finally) have an example to back this up.

The piece I did was Healey Willan's famous (Anglican Rite 1) setting of the Gloria. I would consider it to be the "Missa De Angelis" of the Anglican world. Please keep in mind that because this uses the new Mass translations, it cannot officially be used in Mass until Advent, when the new Mass translations go into effect.

Link for download (file is pdf file): Healey Willan Gloria Roman Rite Download

For those of you who want to get (somewhat of) a feel of how it sounds, you can listen to the original version on YouTube

Choirmasters, priests, and choir members, I would like to know if you would ever use this in your parish, given the chance. If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about this or liturgical music for the new translation in general, I would like to hear them. You may make them known via the comment box or on Twitter (username is @rctechgeek).

Can we please have some Holy Day of Obligation Uniformity?

As many of you know, yesterday was the Feast of the Ascension, a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Rite. The normal day of this feast day is Thursday, but in recent years, the USCCB (US Catholic Conference of Bishops) has allowed the feast of the Ascension (for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite) to be moved to the following Sunday instead of having it on the original day of Thursday. Furthermore, it is up to the local bishop to determine this, leaving much confusion with the laity as to when this is. This is normally made known before this day, but travelers are left out of the mix as a result of this "option". In order to be safe and avoid this mess, you could go to an Ordinary Form Mass on Ascension Thursday, go to an Extraordinary Form Mass on Ascension Thursday, or attend any Divine Liturgy (the name for Mass in the Eastern Rites) at any Eastern Rite church (in communion with Rome) on Ascension.

I have noticed that in recent years, there has been a decline in the handling of Holy Days of Obligation. For many feasts, they have become "optional" (you don't have to go, but it's highly recommended that you do go) or become "movable" (such as Ascension Thursday). This, I think, has partially to do with the busyness of society and how it views church. People have become too lazy or too busy to take time out to go to church on a day other than Sunday. In the Eastern Rites, there's not exactly Holy Days of Obligation, but there are days where the laity are expected to come to church to celebrate a particular event in the life of Christ and the Church. In some Catholic churches, if there's a holy day of obligation that's optional, the Mass schedule isn't changed to accommodate the feast day. Besides, those Holy Days of Obligation are only a handful of days out of the calendar year, so is it too hard to take some time out to go to Mass on those days?

We need to get back to viewing Holy Days of Obligation as days where you always go and be part of the Mass with joy. Those days that are "optional" still need to be promoted as days where you attend Mass. You always get something good and helpful out of the Mass, so why would you want to skip Mass on those days? If there's a feast day in the Church, make some effort to go to Mass.  Those Feasts are on those days for a (very good) reason, so why must we mess with their dates while confusing the laity at the same time? It would be nice to have the Holy Days of Obligation uniform throughout all the dioceses in the US so that you don't have to inquire which day this Holy Day of Obligation is actually on in this Diocese. The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and all the Eastern Rites seem to not have this problem, so why does the Ordinary Form have it?

If you have any thoughts of your own on this, I would like to hear them (just put them in the comment box below). Feel free to tell me on Twitter as well (username is "rctechgeek", link to profile is in the "About Me" section).