New Logo!!!

You may have noticed that "Sancta Sapientia Liturgiae" has a new picture on the right side of the page. This is the new logo for the page. As much as I like the Angus Dei, it is an ecclesiastical image, which means that I can't claim it as my own personal logo. This image on the other hand, is the unique and personal logo of "Sancta Sapientia Liturgiae." 

First, I need to thank JB GUARDIAN GRAPHICS for creating the logo. They did a fantastic job with it every step of the way. For those interested in what they have to offer, you can check out their website at jbguardiangraphics.com or use the link on the left hand side of this blog.

Now, I'd like to discuss the logo and explain the ideas behind it. I'll start by reminding you that the name of the blog is "Sancta Sapientia Liturgiae," which is Latin for "Holy Wisdom of the Liturgy." While this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Christian Faith, and publishes in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church, it is specifically dedicated to the Catholic Liturgy (with an emphasis on the Latin Rite). The main goal is to help people pray and live through the wisdom and treasures of the Church's Liturgy.

This emphasis on the Liturgy, then, is the reason for the altar being the main part of the logo. It is at "the altar of God (Psalm 43:4)," that the Mass is celebrated, and it is therefore around the altar that the Liturgy and all prayers associated with it center.

The color red for the altar cloth was chosen, not because that can actually be used for the main altar cloth (it is has to be white; although an antependium cloth on the altar could be red), but because the color red is the color of the Holy Spirit, within the Liturgy. The intent behind this color choice was to remind us of the necessity of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we pray within and through the Liturgy. It is only through His power and grace that we can authentically pray. Plus, red and black are my favorite colors...

On top of the altar you'll see the seven candles. Traditionally, seven candles have symbolized the seven Sacraments of the Church. Obviously, the Liturgy focuses around these seven Sacraments, with the Eucharist being the central one, as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ, from which all the Sacraments flow, which is why the center candle is taller than the others.

The last part of the logo you may notice is the incense/smoke arising around the altar. This is in representation of our prayers which ascend as incense before the Lord (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8). The ultimate purpose of the blog is to help people grow closer to God, and this can only be done, in the end, through prayer.

I feel the need to here remind readers that all posts on this site are published without an imprimatur or nihil obstat and that I do not represent the official Magisterium of the Church at any level. However, all posts are intended to be published in accord with Church teaching and subject to ecclesiastical authority. Any error should be reported immediately. 

Living the Liturgy: Part 2

"This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." - Matthew 17:5

These feast days of our Lord always make me somewhat sad, not because of the mystery celebrated, for that inspires my love, and not because of the liturgy of the day, because that makes me giddy, but because they often pass by without really being noticed. The Liturgy of this day, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, contains a second reading and its own preface, along with all of the other parts proper to Feasts. In spite of all this, in most places it will be celebrated as if it is just another day of the week, perhaps with brief mention made of its importance.

The problem, as I see it, is that mention may be made of its importance, but if that importance is not shown people will take little notice of it. This is where the importance of "living the Liturgy," as I have phrased it, comes in. Unless two things are done, my experience has shown that the Feast will pass by without the Faithful taking any real notice. The first, and more important, part is that the Liturgy will be celebrated with due solemnity. This means that it cannot be celebrated as simply another daily Mass. The Liturgy has inserted more solemnity, and these parts should be respected.

Obviously extenuating circumstances must be taken into account, such as the need for people to get to their jobs and an already full schedule for the priest. For these reasons, I will admit that great prudence and foresight should be exercised in regards to the Liturgical Year. Our society places little importance on the exercise of one's religion or the necessity of making sure one's spiritual needs are met. As Christians, however, part of our call to evangelize is to express the importance of these things. This is why I say, prudence and foresight need to be taken into account. We cannot simply refuse to work, for this will have extreme consequences on our life situation. However, if plans are made in advance it should be possible to schedule a special feast day Mass.

I'm not suggesting every parish needs to have one, however, in more populated areas, the local parishes could work together to try and create a schedule for such occasions to ensure that a solemn Mass will be offered for the faithful to commemorate the solemn occasion. In less populated areas, the peoples' schedules tend to be a bit more aligned with each other, so it is possible that an extra Mass could be offered on this day, if a priest is available and if the normal Mass time doesn't allow for more solemnity in the celebration.

The main thing to remember is that the Liturgy has already provided the means to highlight the importance of the Transfiguration, but unless the effort is made to actualize those means, the day will pass by like any other.

The second thing which needs to be done to live the Liturgy rests completely within our own power. We need to make the personal effort to make feast days different from other days. Many people only do this with Christmas and Easter. Obviously those days are the two centers of the Liturgical Year, and deserve the highest attention, but all feast days should be given some form of celebration.

Now, don't read what I'm not saying. We don't need to put the same amount of effort into celebrating the Transfiguration as we do Easter. We'd become tired out quickly, Easter and Christmas would lose their splendor and uniqueness, and we'd come to despise feast days for the amount of work involved (in addition to our daily work)! However, a little goes a long way; simple things make certain days special. For example, I always celebrate the Immaculate Conception by watching my favorite version of A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version). While I was in the seminary, the Immaculate Conception was also the day we decorated for Christmas (with the exception of the chapel of course). These two simple things made the day extremely special for me, and they required minimal effort. I also try to schedule dinners out with friends on feast days. This allows me to celebrate the day with others.

Small traditions are what make days special for individuals. I fear that we sometimes get the idea that we need to put a lot of effort into our traditions for them to have value. This is not the case at all. While some things do require a lot of effort, and we may value the end result for that effort, we need to remember the reason for the tradition, which should always be Christ. And this brings me to the most important part of living the Liturgy - prayer.

If we want to truly and authentically live the Liturgy in our daily lives, our prayer lives must do what the Father said in the Transfiguration, i.e. listen to Christ (Matthew 17:5). Part of this requires us to pray with the Church, which is His Body, and the public prayers of the Church are the Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, which follow the Liturgical Year.

We should ultimately make sure that our celebration of any feast day, whether it be the Transfiguration or Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord itself, is marked by prayer. Obviously, there are many legitimate and distinct forms of prayer, and many of them can work for celebrating the feasts days, while still maintaining one's normal spirituality. For example, if one is especially accustomed to the Rosary, one should still take account of the liturgical day. The Directory on Popular Piety says:

"Those who recite a third [now a fourth] of the Rosary sometimes assign the various mysteries to particular days....Where this system is rigidly adhered to, conflict can arise between the content of the mysteries and that of the Liturgy of the day....In cases such as this it can be reckoned that 'the liturgical character of a given day takes precedence over the usual assignment of a mystery of the Rosary to a given day; the Rosary is such that, on particular days, it can appropriately substitute meditation on a mystery so as to harmonize this pious practice with the liturgical season' (200)."

Thus, while the Glorious Mysteries are normally prayed on Wednesdays, as today is the Transfiguration, it would be most appropriate to pray the Luminous Mysteries. Those accustomed to praying litanies, may choose a litany best associated with the given saint's day, or a person might choose take a break from their current spiritual reading to read a meditation suited to the feast day. Through this we can effectively encounter Christ, Whom the Father bid us listen to, and truly live the Liturgy in our daily lives.

A Look at the Mass: The Greeting of the People: Part 2

Within the last post, I discussed more of the overall concept of the greeting at Mass. Within this post, I wanted to look more at the four specific greetings. Three of these are options for a priest to use, when celebrating Mass. The fourth option is used exclusively by a bishop when he presides over the Mass, or celebrates it.

The first option listed in the Roman Missal is, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."  All of the options have a unique beauty to them, and the one that I love most about this one is that it is a continuation of the sign of the cross, as it directly recalls the Trinity. There is much we can draw from this simple formula.

We have been brought here by the love of God. God created us in love, He sustains us in love, He redeemed us in love. If we lose sight of this simple truth, especially in the context of the Liturgy, we, and our pious acts, risk becoming "a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1)." As St. Paul said, charity and love is necessary for all acts to have any value in the eyes of God. The Sacraments, while being efficacious without charity, cannot perfect us without charity having first disposed us to their graces. The mystery of grace, however, is that we cannot be open to it, without God having first opened us to it, as elaborated often by St. Augustine. For this reason, then, the priest greets us with the invitation that the grace of Jesus be present in us.

The final part of this greeting refers to the communion of the Holy Spirit. This is a prayer for unity, which we will continue to see throughout the Liturgy. It brings up the prayer of Christ, "that they may all be one (John 17: 21)." Through the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the grace of the Holy Spirit we are made one in the Church of Christ, which is His body. The Mass is so integral for this unity, then, since it is only in unity that charity can properly be carried out, for we must be one with God to will what He wills.

The second option for the greeting is, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." As I mentioned in the previous post, this is the greeting Paul uses at the beginning of all of his letters in the Scriptures. I think this is significant for several reasons. The first is that it asserts the Apostolic Succession within the Mass. The Mass is the same in essence as that celebrated by the Apostles when they gathered together. Although the exterior rites have undergone changes and developments, the essence, i.e. the Sacrament and Sacrifice, are the same as that celebrated by St. Paul.

Additionally, this greeting reminds us that the Mass carries one of the same purposes that Paul's letters carried. They were written to the churches to instruct them and to admonish them, but primarily to remind them of the surpassing love Jesus Christ had for them. Is not this the purpose of the Mass? We are instructed there, we are often admonished, but primarily we encounter the love of Jesus Christ for us. We are brought together as one and all strive for the same ultimate purpose which the Sacrament of the Eucharist can accomplish within us, i.e. to grow in love and be sanctified by Jesus.

As I stated though, the Mass, especially through the liturgical year and many feasts, is the place where we encounter the truths of the Faith in their best setting, in the presence of God. It is only through God's grace we can understand and love these truths, just as it is only through God's grace that we can do anything. I can, therefore, think of no better place to learn than in the church, the house of God. Keep in mind, I'm not speaking of only an intellectual learning, but a learning that penetrates our hearts and souls and leads us to change our lives.

The last option for the priest to use for the greeting at Mass is the simple, "Dominus vobiscum - The Lord be with you." As I stated before, this is the oldest of the greetings and most traditional in the Liturgy. It is used, as Jungmann notes, to signal a change in actions, and to call our attentions specifically to what is about to occur (363-364), and it occurs several times throughout the Liturgy. As it is hard to focus on this greeting historically, since it has undergone so much development, and its location in the Ordinary Form seems to be somewhat unique, I will simply focus on each of the occurrences as they come up.

The Dominus vobiscum at this place requires little further explanation than what I have said above and in the previous posts. This is an invitation for us to gather our thoughts and to remember what is about to occur in our lives and the necessity of the Lord to accompany us by His grace. Instead, what I wish to now comment on, before looking at a bishop's greeting, is our response, "Et cum spiritu tuo. And with your spirit."

This is the response used for all of the possible greetings, and the theology behind it has constantly been stressed to accentuate the sacerdotal nature of the sacred minister. The Lord Jesus is with him in a special way, since whether he is a bishop, priest, or deacon, his soul bears a special seal upon it conforming him to Christ and allowing him to act in persona Christi. For this reason, a special "wish" is made by all that the Lord's grace will support him in the high dignity he is to undertake.

As with the Dominus vobiscum at the various parts of the Mass having both similar and different meanings, I would hold that the Et cum spiritu tuo does as well. The similarity is that the Holy Spirit may be with him in a unique and special way, but the emphasis is on what work he is about to undertake. At this point in the Liturgy, our thoughts should be that the Holy Spirit may be with him throughout the entire Mass, so that he may worthily lead us in prayer. I find it profitable to point out the re-translation of the Mass from 2012, in which "And also with you," was changed to "And with your spirit."

Two things may be deduced from this. The old translation seemed to imply that the Holy Spirit acts both in the priest and in the faithful in the same way. While there are parts that are the same, in the sense that the priest is human and in need of sanctification, within the Mass the priest also acts in a unique way in that it is he who offers the Sacrifice. The exclusion of the word "also," prevents this possible confusion. The second focuses on the word "spirit." The soul of the priest has an "indelible seal" placed upon it which allows him to act in persona Christi, as stated above. It is through this that he is able to confect the Eucharist. This emphasis on his soul, then, helps to remind us of the work he is going to do. He doesn't preside over a meeting in which we bring about the Eucharist, he is the one who brings about the Eucharist and offers the Sacrifice on our behalf. Therefore, while he leads us in prayer, he also prays on our behalf, as both a man, in his own person, and divinely, as the person of Christ.

The final part of the greeting at Mass which I will focus on is the last possible greeting which may be used, but only by a bishop, "Pax vobis. Peace be with you." There is a great deal of mystery surrounding this greeting. While it is a common greeting in the Eastern Rites for both priest and bishop, it is limited to this one spot in the Latin Rite and used only by the bishop. Historically speaking as well, it has been a thing of dispute. It is the greeting give by our Lord to the disciples after his Resurrection (John 20:19, 21, 26). In my opinion, the best explanation for this being reserved to the bishop is that it is he alone who has received the fullness of the priesthood. Therefore, he uses the words of our Lord himself. As a successor of the Apostles, he uses the very words given by our Lord to the Apostles. The Apostles then communicate this message of peace and life to us through their successors, the bishops.

The Pax vobis is the message of the good news of the Resurrection. Christ has conquered sin and death through His glorious Resurrection! This message of hope and love is the primary message of the Apostles. How appropriate it is that their successors continue to proclaim it, and within the Liturgy. Through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ reconciled the world back to God and brought peace. This is made present to us in the Mass, when the Pascal Mystery is celebrated. The Pax vobis is, then, an invitation to enter into the Pascal Mystery and offer ourselves to God, in union with the Sacrifice of the Cross, made present by the bishop, who acts most perfectly in persona Christi as the great high priest (Antiphon: Ecce Sacerdos Magnus)!

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: The Collect. The Inclusion of the Congregation Assembled, 359-372. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).

A Look at the Mass: The Greeting of the People: Part 1

Due to the many options for this part of the Mass, and some of the complexities involved in its development, I've had to divide it into two sections for the sake of length. This won't be the standard for these posts. I try to keep them confined to one post.

Now when I refer to the greeting of the people I do not mean "Good morning." I can't stand that. It's one of the biggest buzz kills I know, but more on that below. Instead, I mean the, "The Lord be with you," or, "Peace be with you," or one of the alternatives.

We are all certainly familiar with this part of the Liturgy, since it is perhaps the most noticeable change since the recent re-translation of the Mass in 2012. In fact, it's still how we can tell you hasn't been going to a Catholic Mass in a while. At weddings, funerals, and such, they still respond with "And also with you," creating a disturbance in the normal harmonious response. Before we get into my thoughts and conclusions about this act, however, let us look at some of the historical details of this liturgical greeting, or more properly so called, "invitation," or even "introduction."

There are three options for the greeting of the people at this portion of the Mass - "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all," and, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," and the simple, "The Lord be with you." Additionally, a bishop uses the greeting, "Peace be with you." All of these are taken directly from Scripture. While the first two, and "Pax vobiscum," are taken from the New Testament, Dominus vobiscum, goes back into the Old Testament. In the Book of Ruth, Boaz greets his workers in this way. He says, "'The Lord be with you!' And they answered 'The Lord bless you (Ruth 2:4).'" This simple "Dominus vobiscum" became the standard greeting within the Mass, and even within the Church in general. Before any formal prayer led by a man in Holy Orders, or before a blessing, the Dominus vobiscum is always used as the greeting.

Within the Extraordinary Form, this greeting occurs eight times, within the standard Mass. However, in the Ordinary Form, that number has been cut in half. Withholding a commentary on my feelings in regards to this, I believe we can use this as an opportunity to see the many layers and the deep content of the Dominus vobiscum.

Jungmann asserts, "The Dominus vobiscum is then, in the first instance, an address to the people and, without over-stressing its content . . . it serves to arouse the attention and to denote, each time, an important moment in the course of the liturgy. Besides, the use of a greeting form enables the congregation to return the greeting, and so, through this religious setting of reciprocal salutation, the feeling of God's nearness is intensified (362-363)."  

At this point in the Liturgy, there seems to be much more of an aspect of greeting to the Dominus vobiscum. For support of this claim, I cite the other optional greetings for a priest, i.e. "The grace of our Lord...," and, "Grace to you...." The second greeting is directly taken from the beginning of all of Paul's letters found in the New Testament. It is his form of greeting to the various churches. We here are able to rejoice that the Lord has brought us together for the celebration of the mystery. I do not wish to overemphasize the aspect of community, for that's not what we primarily rejoice in. Nevertheless, there is an importance to the coming together of many people.

Allow me to elaborate with the idea of a birthday party. The idea of the party is to allow many to come together to celebrate the birth and continued life of the person. Everyone rejoices together, and joy is found in the coming together of many, even though the coming together is not the reason for rejoicing. Of course, the Mass is infinitely higher in dignity than a birthday party, but analogies always fall short.

Within the context of the Mass, the rejoicing is twofold. We rejoice that we have been brought together as priest and people to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries and to here be given the grace to go out and evangelize to the world. Our attention then shifts to the Lord. For this reason we respond with, "And with your spirit." We realize that the priest is the one who will perform the sacred actions through which we can be sanctified, and so like at a birthday party, the focus shifts from all of the people, to the one who is celebrated, or more properly speaking, to the action being made present.

The second cause for rejoicing derives from this. Although at the Crucifixion only a handful of women and St. John were present, at the Mass we have all come together, even though it has entailed a sacrifice. Now the sacrifice varies in intensity. Sometimes it is simply that we had to give part of our day to the Lord, and other times it is risking one's life. This should also help to focus our attention to what is about to begin. Our Lord is pleased that we have come to the Sacrifice and invites us to enter deeply into it.

Nevertheless there is an element of prayer to this part of the Mass as well. For, as I said above, whenever Dominus vobiscum is used, it can more properly be called an invitation. We have been invited by the Lord to participate in this most sacred action. Our minds should be focused to what is about to happen and pray that the Lord may be with us, for it is only by His grace that we will be able to acceptably offer ourselves in union with the Sacrifice of Calvary and to receive the graces offered to us. The invitation is that the Lord be with us, but our response is that the Lord may also be with the priest, for it is through him that the graces are made available to us. We depend upon him.

However, I also said Dominus vobiscum may properly be called an introduction. This is different than a greeting, for as Jungmann notes, the Dominus vobiscum is used anytime an important action is about to begin. The important action here is, of course, the Mass proper. We have invoked the Holy Trinity in the sign of the cross, and now we pray for the Trinity to be with us throughout the Mass.

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: The Collect. The Inclusion of the Congregation Assembled, 359-372. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).

The Necessary Existence of Inequality

It occurred to me the other day that I often use the word "hierarchy" in my posts and explanations of things. Since the French Revolution, by my estimation, this term has often carried a negative connotation to it. With the spread of democratic values across the world, especially equality, the idea of a lack of equality in anything has been vilified.

Equality is, of course, a good and necessary thing, in its proper context. In the realms of social life, there is still a lot of work to obtain a fair and equal treatment of all citizens, which is in keeping with their human dignity. The problem is that, this social term, has been forced into the realm of philosophy without a change in its conceptual meaning. The consequence of making equality the center of philosophy is, since philosophy is the study of truth, that truth must conform to the social definition of equality. 

The repercussions of this are fairly evident. Philosophically speaking, all things are not equal. Nothing has the exact same perfections as another. There are gradations of being within nature; St. Thomas Aquinas even uses this a proof for the existence of God (Summa Theologiae, I, Q. 2, Art. 3, Respondeo).  Now this sounds like a complicated thing, but it's really not; in fact, I believe its the most evident of Thomas' proofs (contrary to what Aquinas would say). 

St. Thomas's idea of gradation of being stems from Aristotle's understanding of it. Aristotle begins his De Anima (A work "On the Soul") with the concept that some things have more to be known and understood about them (Book I, Part 1). This should be fairly evident to us. There is more to be known when studying humans than when studying a rock, since there are simply more qualities that a human possesses as opposed to a rock; a human does and can do many more things than a rock does.

There is, therefore, a hierarchy in nature. There are inanimate objects, such as rocks, and then there are living things. The living things have more to be known, and are therefore greater in dignity, for they bear the image of God, Who is Life, more perfectly. Even within animate things, we see a hierarchy. Man is at the top, who is able to think abstractly, meaning he bears the image of God more perfectly, since he is able to grasp concepts. This is something lacking in the animals, but an essential part of God, Who understands concepts and Himself perfectly. 

I would be negligent if I did not mention the angels, which are higher in the hierarchy of creation than man, for they, as purely spiritual beings, bear a more perfect resemblance to God. However, I say man is the highest of living things, since angels aren't physical, and therefore don't have life in the same manner as we do. Additionally, there are many other hierarchies we can reference as natural, but all of them will have the common component that God is the reference point for the highest part, since He is at the top of the hierarchy of existence, which contains all things that exist. 

We would be foolish then to see inequality in and of itself as a bad concept. It is a natural concept, for all things are not equal. Man will never be equal to God, nor will a rose be equal to man. As our Lord says of humans, "You are more valuable than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31)." We would hopefully not hesitate to protect a fellow human over a tree, if both were in danger. This is not to say the tree does not have a dignity, it simply acknowledges the fact humans have a greater dignity. God of course has the greatest dignity, which is why we must follow Him before anything else. 

Inequality can of course be evil, but only when it is used to attack the dignity of God's creation, meaning of course that God is attacked, for any dignity creation possesses is due to Him. To treat women as less than men is an attack against their dignity. A hierarchy must respect nature, not work against it. There is nothing in women, which makes them inferior to men, just as their is nothing in the color of skin making a person inferior. God made men and women equal in dignity. It is reasonable to establish hierarchies, but they must still respect the hierarchies established by God. 

From the foregoing, I hope I sufficiently explained the importance of recognizing and acknowledging inequalities. Once again, in the realm of social justice, we need to work to eliminate inequality, for its existence there is an assault on nature, but in the realm of philosophy, inequality is a simple truth. The problems arise based on where it is applied.

A Look at the Mass: The Sign of the Cross

"I bind unto myself today, the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One and One in Three." - St. Patrick's Breastplate

How often the sign of the cross is present within the Liturgy! It is seen, not only at Mass, but in all of the Sacraments. In Baptism we are signed with it. In Confirmation we are sealed with it. It blesses those embarking on their vocations in Marriage and Holy Orders. For the spiritual sick, they are absolved from their sins through it. For the physically sick, they are anointed with it for strength. How appropriate then that it is through the sign of the cross that we begin the Mass, the greatest thing man can participate in on this earth! 

Historically speaking, the introduction f the sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass appeared quite late. It wasn't until the late Medieval Ages that it started to be used as a blessing formula at the beginning of Mass. 

This is how we must view the sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass - as a blessing formula. It is not a sacramental blessing, as the one at the end of Mass is, however, in the sense that it declares what we are about to do to be a holy act and beg the mercy and grace of God upon us, it is. Jungmann explains it as, "We begin the holy action in the power that comes from the triune God through the Cross of Christ (296)." The Trinity, the source of all grace and blessings, and the Cross are essential concepts for the Mass. The Mass is the offering of God the Son to God the Father in and through the power of the Holy Spirit on the Cross. 

This is what we are to recall when we begin the Celebration of Mass. It is both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice. The sign of the cross recalls this. Grace is offered to us, but there is also an offering on our part. This offering is the offering of our very selves, symbolized by the Cross. To crucify a man is to force him to give everything he has as a penalty, namely his life. However, as Jesus willingly mounted the Cross, so are we called to mount it, in offering our entire selves to God through the Mass. 

Jungmann also notes the connection to Baptism which can be taken from this formula and gesture (296). We were baptized, as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20), in the name of the Trinity, and received into the Church. This initiation is consummated whenever we receive our Lord in Holy Communion; we are made one with Him. It is well then to remember this at the beginning of Mass, that what was begun in us in Baptism is being brought to perfection through the Holy Mass.

The final point I wish to bring up is that this is a reminder of our final end. What we celebrate here on earth, veiled, is celebrated unveiled in the Heavenly Liturgy. As stated above, it is the offering of the Son to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are made one with this offering, and consequently with the Trinity through this action. The Trinity, as our final end, is accessed through the offering of the Mass. 

All historical information taken from:
Rev. Joseph A. Jungmann, S.J. The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development. Volume 1. Part III: The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar as a Unit, 290-298. Translated by Rev. Francis A. Brunner, C.SS.R. (Christian Classics: Notre Dame, Indiana, 1951).

Five Spiritual Tips

I want to start this post with a very clear statement. I am not claiming to be an expert in the spiritual life. I hope I have made that clear.

Now with that said, I thought it might share a few small things I've learned about growing in the spiritual life. Take them for what you will. They've helped me is all I can say. 

1. Follow a routine. I hate to use such a common analogy, but it's a good one, plus Jesus used it. Your spiritual life is like a plant. It needs to be taken care of, and part of that means it needs regularity. You can't decide to water the plant on a sporadic basis and expect it to thrive. Instead, you're going to kill it by over or under-watering. You can't just decide not to water it today. 

The spiritual life works the same way. It needs some routine. Not only does this make it easier to accomplish the tasks of the spiritual life, since they become habitual, but it will give a calmer life, because you won't have the anxiety of not knowing what to expect. 

This doesn't mean you have to necessarily do everything at the exact same time everyday, or that there's never room for diversity, but it does mean that you are at least taking responsibility for your spiritual life. Plan ahead; you may not always accomplish what you want, but you'll find you accomplish a lot more of what you plan to accomplish than what you don't. 

2. Read spiritual works. No one can be their own guide in the spiritual life. The Holy Spirit needs to be that guide, and He works through other people. It's not possible for everyone to have a spiritual director, but it is possible for everyone to get spiritual advice from the experts, i.e. the Church and the saints. Numerous works have been written for the aid of the faithful. There are the messages of the pope, especially his encyclicals. 

I would also include any form of media in this category. You don't necessarily have to read a spiritual work, though I do think it's easier to meditate on the written word as opposed to the spoken. One of the great benefits of the modern world is the ease in many places to access the words of the Holy Father, or the works of the saints. 

There are four books which I would especially recommend, as they are the four basic works recommended by the Church for those looking to grow in the spiritual life. They are St. Francis de Sales Introduction to the Devout Life, which, while slightly old fashioned, remains the foremost treatise on the spiritual life of any member of the Church. I never leave home without it (it's on my phone). The second, is St. Therese of Lisieux's Story of a Soul. Many know of her simple spirituality known as, "The Little Way," and this is laid out in her autobiography. The third is Thomas A Kempis's Imitation of Christ, which provides many meditations on the titular idea, i.e. to purify oneself and become an image of Christ. The fourth and final work is St. Augustine's Confessions. His autobiography is proof that God can transform even the most hardened sinner into a great saint. Plus, like the Scriptures it is a simple read, yet filled with more to always be uncovered (the Scriptures are of course infinitely greater). 

3. Take care of yourself. Because men and women are beings composed of both body and soul, it is necessary for them to take care of both. And the soul depends on the body to actualize its greatest potential. If you're emotionally unstable, or excessively tired, hungry, etc. you'll find it much harder to pray and focus on God. This is not a bad thing. God designed us this way so that we are able to glorify Him to our fullest ability. While it is true that certain souls are called to special fasts, this is the exception not the norm, and those souls must discern it in accord with their spiritual directors. 

4. Find your own form of prayer. Every relationship is unique. Our relationship with God is no different. It will not be the same as anyone else's. One of the foremost rules in the spiritual life is not to compare yourself to anyone else. This does not mean you can't imitate another, but it does mean that you can't see the heart of their relationship. There are common necessities to every spiritual life, such as the Sacraments, but there are also unique forms of prayer, which, as long as in accord with the teachings of the Church, should be embraced by each individual as helps them. 

5. Don't neglect the small things. The most perfect prayer, the Lord's Prayer, is really a simple thing when you stop to think about it, yet it contains everything you need. Don't neglect to pray it often. We don't all need to do the Spiritual Exercises or pray all 20 mysteries of the Rosary everyday. Any guidebook for spiritual directors always cautions the spiritual director that some souls are simply called to the basic prayer life of simple written prayers and spending time with the Lord. You don't need to have visions of our Lord to have a healthy spiritual life. You need love for God and your neighbor, for at the Judgment, we will be judged in how we loved. 

Obviously, there is much more that can be advised to a person growing in their spiritual life, but I tried to choose things I don't hear that much.