Dear friends, you may have missed it, but Mass was celebrated on Sunday December 15 according to the traditional Ambrosian Rite in the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan for the first time in 50 years. Yes, in half a century. So what, you say with disdainful lip and dismissive eye. So a lot.
For 50 years the ancient liturgy of the West, our worship of God, has been cheapened, bowdlerized, denigrated, mocked and even banned. You see, what happened was this. Satan wasn't able to subvert the Western Catholic Church's teaching, the Magesterium held firm unlike the genius of Anglicanism, but he was able to demolish its worship.
Pan to guitar playing nuns, nylon vestments, and 1970s attack language removing all sense of the sacred or numinal from the worship of God. Pretty effective strategy, crash the worship, crash belief and go figure, RC congregations have been tanking ever since. But maybe that's changing, see the Ambrosian Mass in Milan. A harbinger of things to come?
We hope so, here at the Compound, and know this. Wherever faithful Christians truly worship God, I advise the Ancient Rite, they will be truly blessed. Not kidding, Guinea on the monkey and a safe bet.
Ad Altare Dei,
Many of my neighbors are Catholics in this senior apartment building. They continue to worship every Sunday but none are happy with today's Mass and want the Mass of their youth.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no dog in the fright I continue to be observant of many things. For example, every Wednesday there is a bible study in the lounge. There are usually twenty participants.
Our only LDS lady stays busy being helpful in general and is a missionary to those who are interested.
My neighbor Jack is messianic rabbi. We have the occasional conversation about Israel and their enemies.
My overall impression is my neighbors are seeking something real, of substances, and enduring. Even WSF starts his day with a short scripture reading with a short sermon.