SERVIAM

Nearly 75 years ago Fulton J. Sheen wrote (p.185 in Peace of Soul) “. . . (a) kind of conversion can occur among those who already have the faith.” The rest of what he says alludes prophetically to Vatican II in many ways. What catches the eye on this first weekday of Passiontide, is the following: “. . . and above all else, it will make the glory of Christ’s Cross shine out in a love of the brethren for one another as true and loyal men of God and devoted children of the Mother with an Immaculate Heart.”

Yesterday, at the Traditional Latin Mass, our priest proclaimed very clearly that Passion Sunday (as it was called before Vatican II and Pope Paul VI changes in 1969) is about the Love of God through the Crucifixion of His only son. Passion Sunday, under Pope Paul VI’s new Rubric is now celebrated during the week that begins Palm Sunday in the Novus Ordo.

The division of the Traditional Latin Mass versus the Novus Ordo is emotionally quite strong and can lead to angry outbursts between proponents of the old ways against the newer ways. This bone of contention has shown itself to lead to schisms and other crises of the faithful. Yet, the purpose of Vatican II was supposed to cause, as Sheen puts it, “Christians will become real Christians, with less facade and more foundation. Catastrophe will divide them from the world, force them to declare their basic loyalties; it will revive shepherds who shepherd rather than administrate, reverse the proportion of saints and scholars in favor of saints, create more reapers for the harvest, more pillars of fire for the lukewarm; it will make the rich see that real wealth is in the service of the needy. . .”

Whether we decide that Traditional views are more important than new views, it seems to be sensible that, in either event, Catholics are Christ-Centric. Thus, as my old High School motto proclaims —

SERVIAM.