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