Exiit qui seminat
On the solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul (June 29) Pope
Francis issued the apostolic letter Desiderio
Desideravi which focuses on the importance of the proper
celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is a
welcomed change in tone from the Holy Father, especially
in light of the firestorm and borderline cruelty our more
traditional brothers and sisters have had to face with the
restrictions placed upon the ancient rite of the Roman
liturgy in the motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes. Pope
Francis rightly reminds us that the Mass is not a history
lesson, but making re-present the realities of the
Incarnation and the Resurrection - that the Mass is our
prayer and declaration that these mysteries of the faith are
real and are a tangible part of our lives. Desiderio
Desideravi places an increased emphasis of celebrating the
Mass properly. Pope Francis reminds us that the Mass is
not a time for the priest to engage in attention seeking
innovation or "creative" interpretation, but by strictly
adhering to the Mass' instructions and prayers. When Mass
is celebrated poorly or incorrectly, it can have far reaching
implications. One of the most core tenants of the liturgy is
"Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi" (Latin for "How we
pray points to what we believe and leads to how we are to
live"). So if we radically change the Mass, we are altering
not just the prayers, but our beliefs and our lives. We don't
often think about Sunday Mass in this light, but considering
what our local Church is embarking upon in the next three
years in renewing our adoration, love and belief in the Most
Blessed Sacrament, then it is more than time to renew why
the Mass is our highest form of prayer and how it gives us
the source and summit of all grace in the Eucharist.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Rob Sinatra
