Altar Serving Book – Introduction and Purpose of Altar Boys

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

This post will be the first of several posts that I will write on altar serving. I’m writing this for two reasons. First, I want to inspire those who are currently altar boys to become better. Second, I want to inspire boys who are not servers to consider taking up this great service and duty. I hope to eventually release a full ebook for free, once I think I have covered all of the topics relating to being an altar boy. I will keep you up to date in the project.

Introduction

To start off, I would like to get my credentials out of the way or, to put it another way, what qualifies me to talk about altar serving. Well, I’ve been an altar boy for over 15 years and for about 14 of those years I have served with my younger brother. We have served mostly English Novus Ordo Masses, but we’ve also served a few Polish Novus Ordo Masses. About three years ago, we learned how to serve the Latin Tridentine Mass. For going on two years we have been serving Mass 6 days a week for our pastor. We have been serving for a while and have the scars to prove it.

You will probably notice that during the course of this and the other serving posts, I will predominantly use the phrase “altar boys” instead of “altar servers”. This is because I believe that serving is an office and a job that should be for boys only. Serving has led many boys to consider entering the priesthood. This makes sense for boys, but what about girls? First, get the people used to girls in the sanctuary wearing liturgical clothing and, then, they won’t notice it when you start pushing women priests.

AltarBoyPaintingPurpose of Altar Boys

At the altar, an altar boy serves two functions that lead to one result. The first function is to help the priest. This might be obvious or common sense to many, but that does not mean everyone gets it. A well trained sever will be able anticipate what the priest will need and when. This is crucial because if the priest can be sure that, for example, the Missal is at the correct place on the altar when he needs it, then he can relax and focus on more important parts of the Mass. I have seen many times when a priest has had to prompt altar servers to bring him something. This makes for an awkward pause while the priest waits to receive what he asked for. The Mass flows much better when there are few to none of these awkward pauses. It takes time for the altar boy to get to know what the priest wants, but when he does everything flows better.

The second function of an altar boy is to help lead the people. This is more the case in the Latin Tridentine Mass, but it is also true in the English Mass. In the Latin Mass, the people often could not hear the priest, especially in the days before microphones. They could tell where the priest was in the Mass by what he did and what he occasionally said out loud. They also took their cues from the altar boys. For example, when altar boys knelt after the Gospel (or the homily, if there was one), then the people sat. The same is true for the English Mass. The altar boy act as a guide to show the people what they should be doing at certain parts of the Mass, whether it is kneeling or sitting or standing.

The result that should occur, if the two functions are performed correctly, is an increase in reverence in the parish community. While it may not be obvious to many, how altar boys act while they are around the altar can affect how the people in the pew pray and worship God. A server, who does his job well, will uplift those who watch him. They will come to have a greater appreciation for what takes place on the altar and also a greater reverence. If the congregation sees reverence around the altar, they will be inspired to reflect that reverence in their worship. Make no mistake, serving is a very important job that should be taken seriously because it can have a great affect on how people pray.

I hope you found this post interesting and enlightening. Please give me some feedback in the comments section below.

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All Altar Boys Should Know How to Use a Thurible

Posted on April 20, 2013 by

The thurible is an important piece of liturgical equipment that all altar boys should know how to use. Unfortunately, just because they should know how to use it does not mean that most do know. Here is a video that demonstrates the best way to use a thurible.

This clip is from the TV show Human Target, about a man who goes undercover to protect people.

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Blessed Charles de Foucauld (September 15, 1858 – December 1, 1916)

Posted on April 20, 2013 by
Blessed Charles De Foucauld

Blessed Charles De Foucauld

Blessed Charles de Foucauld was born on September 15, 1858 in Strasbourg, France to an aristocratic family. After losing his parent at the age of six, Charles and his sister were raised by their grandfather. While he was in high school, Charles was introduced to the rationalism and skepticism of Voltaire and others. As a result, lost his faith and no longer believed that God existed. Without a moral compass, he spent much of his inheritance enjoying the best food and wine, enjoying the good life. He followed his grandfather’s footsteps and entered the officer’s training program at the French military academy. However, he barely graduated from the military academy because of laziness and drunkenness. As a second lieutenant, Charles spent his time horseback riding and high stakes gambling. All his meals were catered by the finest restaurants and he employed his own tailors. He even brought women from Paris for companionship. He earned the contempt of his peers by insisting that his mistress accompany him to social events for military officers.

In spite of his decadent lifestyle, a spark of duty still existed in his soul. Charles surprised everyone by volunteering for a dangerous assignment in North Africa. While there he won praise for his leadership skills and courage. Shortly afterwards, having proved himself, Charles resigned from the French Army. Charles was impressed by both the faith of the African Muslims and the vastness of the African desert. In June of 1883, Charles started an exploration and research tour of Morocco disguised as a Russian Jew. As a result of this expedition, Charles wrote a book about his experience with some of the most accurate descriptions and maps up to that time. He received a gold medal from the French Geographic Society for this work. Meanwhile, his soul had been stirred to greater hunger for faith, due to the faith of the people he encountered. However, his skepticism held him back. One night, he entered a church that was dark except for a small sanctuary candle before the tabernacle. Kneeling, Charles prayed, “My Go, if you exist let me know.”

Back in France, Charles began a quest to find God. In this quest, he was aided by his cousin Marie. She would talk to him for hours about faith and gave him books to read on the subject. Finally, she convinced him to talk to her confessor, Abee Henri Huvelin, a priest of great holiness. Late in October of 1886, Charles went to visit the priest and found him in the confessional. Instead of kneeling, Charles leaned forward and said, “Father, I have not faith. I have come to ask you to instruct me.” The Abbe replied that if he knelt and confessed his sins he would believe. He obeyed and confessed his sins. Upon receiving absolution, Charles was told by the Abbe to go to Communion. It was here at the Altar of God, that Charles eyes were opened to the truth. He said, “As soon as I came to believe there was a God, I understood that I could not do otherwise than live only for Him alone.”

In 1888, Charles visited the Holy Land. Here he fell in love with Nazareth and the hidden, ordinary life of the Holy Family. Two years later, he entered the Trappist monastery in Syria. However, this only lasted for seven years because even this order renowned for its austerity and rigor was not enough. When the monks were allowed to butter their cooked vegetables, Charles decided that he needed more mortification, not less. He left the monastery and became a hermit in Nazareth. He was ordained a priest in June of 1901. After his ordination, he moved to North Africa and lived as a hermit among the Muslims. He spent his time translating the Gospels into the Touareg language and caring for the poor and forgotten. Most nights were spent in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. He wrote, “What a tremendous delight, my God!  To spend fifteen hours without anything else to do but look at You and tell You, ‘Lord I love You!’ Oh what sweet delight!” “The goal of every human life should be the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.”

When war broke out in Europe, the Muslim tribes took advantage of the situation and started to rebel against the French. Charles built a small fort around his hermitage, hoping to create a sanctuary for the locals if fighting should breakout. However, he was capture by tribesmen who hoped to use him as leverage. They bound him and tortured him. Finally, they shot him when he refused to renounce his faith in favor of Islam. Charles had sensed how he would die early on. In 1897, he wrote, “Remember that you ought to die as a martyr . . . killed violently and painfully . . . Remember that your death must inevitably flow out of your life, and on that account, realize the insignificance of a great many things.” He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on November 13, 2005. He is honored on December 1.

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Cardinal Dolan, the Man Who Must Never be Pope

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

Before the conclave took place, there was quite a bit of speculation that an American would be chosen to lead the Church. One name in particular led the list: Cardinal Timothy Dolan. On the surface, Dolan looks good. He’s happy and jolly, seems to be relatively conservative, but once you scratch below the surface you find something different. Watch below and be thankful that Dolan was not elected.

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St. Gianna Molla (October 4, 1922 – April 28, 1962)

Posted on April 18, 2013 by
St. Gianna Molla

St. Gianna Molla

Gianna decided that medicine was the career for her to best help others. To accomplish this, she entered medical school in November of 1942 in Milan.  She graduated in 1949 and opened an office near her hometown. Her brother was a missionary priest to Brazil. Gianna wanted to join him to offer her services to poor women, but her poor health made that impossible. On December 8, 1954, Gianna attended the first Mass of a young priest named Fr. Garavaglia from the town of Mesero. Another native of Mesero named Pietro Mollo was present. Pietro was an engineer and the manager of a local match factory. Over the next several months, Gianna and Pietro started to date. In early 1955, Pietro asked her to married him. They were married on April 11, 1955 in the Basilica of San Martino in Magenta.

Gianna was happy in married life. She and Pietro moved to a villa in Ponte Nuovo. The local church, Our Lady of Good Counsel, was located close by and Gianna would attend Mass daily. Between 1956 and 1959, she gave birth to three children, Pierluigi, Maria Zita and Laura. However, in 1961, she suffered from two miscarriages. After she became pregnant again, doctors found a tumor on her uterus. The doctors told Gianni she only had three treatment options: remove her uterus, remove the tumor and the unborn child or remove only the tumor. The first option meant that Gianni would not be able to have any more children. The second option would mean the loss of her unborn child. The third option was the riskiest. As a doctor herself Gianni was aware of the risk, but chose the third option because it would ensure the birth of her daughter. She told the doctors, “If you must choose between me and the baby, no hesitation; choose – and I demand it – the baby. Save her!”

The surgery was performed successfully and Gianna returned home. However, the next seven months of her pregnancy were full of complications. Nonetheless, Gianna bore these trials patiently because she knew that her unborn daughter had a right to be born. Finally, Gianna returned to the hospital in April 20, 1962 (Good Friday) to give birth to her fourth child. After natural methods failed, Gianna Emanuela was delivered via Cesarean Section. Shortly after the birth, Gianna suffered from abdominal pains and high fever. She lingered for seven days. She wished to receive Holy Communion one last time before she died, but was unable to because of intense vomiting. Gianna Mollo went to her eternal reward on April 28, 1962 at the age of 39. She was canonized on May 26, 2004 by Blessed Pope John Paul II. Her feast is celebrated on April 28.

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A Member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter Speaks on the Latin Mass

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

I thought that I would follow-up my previous post about the problems in the SSPX by presenting you with several videos on the Latin Mass by a priest who is in communion with Rome. Fr. Calvin Goodwin is a member the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter was founded in July of 1988 by members of SSPX who did not want to follow the rest of the Society in to the schism the resulted from Lefebvre’s ordination of four bishops.

Enjoy these two videos and please share.

Posted in FSSP, Latin Mass, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Tradition, Video | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The War for the Soul of SSPX Continues

Posted on April 14, 2013 by

Last October, I wrote an article stating that there were three distinctive splinter groups within SSPX. It appears that I was wrong about that. Instead, there appears to be one main, umbrella group working to create an alternative, ultra-right wing version of SSPX. I’m basing this on a couple of articles that I came across recently.

Fr Joseph Pfeiffer

Fr Joseph Pfeiffer, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X of Strict Observance and possible future bishop of a new SSPX/traditionalist splinter group

First, some background. As most people know (or should know), in the last couple of years the SSPX (Society of St. Pius X) has undergone quite a bit of internal conflict. The leaders of the SSPX (especially Bishop Fellay, the superior general) have become more friendly and willing to at least talk with the Vatican as time goes on. However, other elements within the organization are dead set against even talking with Rome. This latter group is the one I will be discussing.

I recently came across a short blog post dated January 2013. This post stated that there was a rumor that secret meeting was going to take place in Virginia consisting of Bishop Williamson (who was kicked out of SSPX in October 2012) and a number of priests who were kicked out of the Society because their opposition to the SSPX-Vatican talks. According to the rumor, the purpose of this meeting was to create an organization that conformed to their (narrow-minded) interpretation of Archbishop Lefebvre’s vision for the society. Further, the rumor stated that they may pick a new bishop (who would probably be consecrated by Williamson) and that the candidate may be Fr. Pfeiffer, the head of the Society of St. Pius X of Strict Observance (which was created in August of 2012).

Not quite what most seminarians expect.

Not quite what most seminarians expect.

The second document I found was a letter send out by a group calling itself the “resistance”. This letter was dated December 22, 2012 and tells of a five-day retreat preached by Bishop Williamson. It appears that there were only 10 priests in attendance (including Williamson) and the focus was on the problems in the “conciliar church” and “neo-SSPX”. These two phrase show just how far out these people are and I will cover these terms later. The end result was the creation of a “federation” of several “Traditional” catholic groups who are not connected with Rome under the spiritual and moral authority of Williamson. (Nothing like having a Holocaust denier on your side to male you look legit.) The letter concludes by telling of plans to create their own seminary in a small farms house (since SSPX seminaries are now corrupted) and with a list of upcoming events to help the “resistance” grow around the world.

Bishop Williamson

Bishop Williamson

Finally, Bishop Williamson published an open letter to all SSPX priests on Holy Thursday of this year. Now, Williamson publishes a newsletter every week, but this was a special edition directed at SSPX priests. This letter was nothing but a call to arms against both the Catholic Church and the SSPX. He accuses the leadership of SSPX of going with the flow and forgetting Lefebvre’s vision by even considering the Doctrinal Declaration the Vatican sent to SSPX last April. One of the points that irritates me the most is that he says:

Fidelity promised to the “Catholic Church” and to the “Roman Pontiff” can easily be misdirected today towards the Conciliar Church as such, and to the Conciliar Pontiffs. Distinctions are needed to avoid confusion.

What is he talking about? The Catholic Church is in Rome and the Roman Pontiff is its head. Further, he goes on to call the Vatican “the apostates of Rome”.

Conclusion

This “resistance” within SSPX has been coming for a long time. Early last year and even earlier, there were reports that Williamson and his cronies were working to get control of SSPX property if Fellay did sign an agreement to return to Rome.

All of these efforts find their root in a hatred from Rome (and by extension the Roman Catholic Church) and a love of power. These people are seeking to rebel against their superiors and the Church’s spiritual authority. They pretend that they are safeguarding the Faith, but the truth of the matter is that they are embracing the Protestant mentality. They are embracing the Protestant mentality that if you do not agree with the current Church structure or Church leaders, you can create a new organization that you like and agree with and, more importantly, one that you control. Many of these men have no one order them and operate at their own discretion and they like it. See, they are ignoring the Pope’s right to rule the Church because they do not want any authority but their own. In fact, Williamson does not want to give fidelity to the “Roman Pontiff” and he calls Pope Benedict XVI’s “Hermeneutic of continuity” madness. When a man who claims to be a prince of the Church attacks the ideas of the infallible ruler of that Church, how can he be taken seriously? Especially, when he has already set himself up as the head of a religious organization with the sole power to ordain and confirm. It is obvious that he, like others of his ilk, want to be pope in all but name.

The fact that both the letter from the “resistance” and Williamson use the phrase”conciliar church” to describe the Roman Catholic Church is further evidence that they intend to stay separated from Rome. By using this phrase they make it sound like the Catholic Church is no longer the one true Church founded by Christ to save souls. But it still is. The Church at this time may be very flawed and broken, but that is because it is made up of men who are sinners in a world tainted with sin. The sole purpose of this phrase is create a wedge between well intentioned people and the Church by replacing Catholic or universal with a word that loathesome to them.

In the end, all we can do is pray. We must pray that these resistance and rebel groups within SSPX will not lead good and well-intentioned people away from the Roman Catholic Church. We must also pray that those involved in this rebellion will see God’s light and return to the Catholic Church to help us in our fight to guard tradition.

Posted in Bishop Williamson, Judas, Latin Mass, Protestants, SSPX, Tradition | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment