I am calling on my believing Catholic readers today to step up and get serious. If you are not practicing your faith, you are not acting as a patriot.
We cannot turn the tide in this country with secular action alone. Going to Mass on Sunday is a requisite, but it is only the starting point.
That alone will not get us to Heaven. We must start living as traditional Catholics, not lukewarm Vatican II Catholics.
The bishops and most parish priests will not say this. Many are afraid to ask too much of the laity because they do not want to offend or make being a good Catholic seem too difficult.
Many do not talk specifically about the impurities society has given into which will put us in Hell: things like sodomy, masturbation, fornication outside of marriage, artificial contraception.
I have been guilty of many sins of the flesh throughout my life. This is why Confession is so important. We need to go at least once per month. When we fall into mortal sin, we must go immediately.
The Church gave into relativism at the time of Vatican II. It attempted to get with the times.
I attended a Catholic school for several years as a child. I do not recall learning to pray the Rosary. They may have taught us and I do not recall.
However, if we were made to pray it often as we should have, I would remember. Religion class in my Catholic school was a once or twice per week blow-off class; it was made to be slightly more important than art class.
They also did not make us go to Confession regularly. I think they only offered it at school once after my first Penance.
This was pathetic when I think about it. When I hear stories of the way the faith was stressed in Catholic schools when my parents attended, it makes sense that the church was far stronger as an influential institution on American culture and the churches were full on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation in those days.
The teachers were priests and nuns. I had mostly regular lay people. I am not even sure all were Catholic. Sure, some nuns were sadistic and seemed to enjoy beating on kids too much in the old days, but the kids were more structured and disciplined.
Masses were said in Latin. Confession was basically available all day on Saturday.
I believe the faithful are craving stricter Doctrine. I know I am. We want to be led to Heaven, not patted on the head and told we are all good and that God is so merciful.
He is merciful. However, we have a duty to carry our cross here on Earth.
It is not supposed to be easy. In fact, sometimes it is boring and tedious. Sometimes that is the cross.
So let’s get down to how we can take it upon ourselves to live as traditional Catholics. Obviously Mass attendance on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation along with regular Confession are a must.
Some parishes will tell you that if a Holy Day falls on a Monday, it is covered by the Sunday Mass. Okay, fine but is it going to kill you to go two days in a row?
There is no excuse unless you have a job that is stopping you from attending or you are physically unable. If you are not sick enough to miss work or the sportsball game, you are not sick enough to miss Mass.
Confession is a mini exorcism which protects us from the demonic. The demonic use our sins to attach themselves to us.
We must avoid receiving Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin. Additionally, let’s go back to receiving on the tongue.
My hands are not holy enough to touch the Body of Christ. Therefore, we should also do our best at Mass to receive from the priest or deacon, not a lay person.
I would suggest becoming familiar with our Blessed Mother’s instructions at Fatima. Start in the link here.
Next: no meat on Fridays all year-round, not just during Lent. Is it a sin to eat meat on Friday? Not in my opinion but fasting and sacrifice bring us graces.
If you can go without meat for 6 weeks you can do it for 52. If you are at an event that only serves meat and you don’t want to make a skeptical, do it on Thursday or Saturday.
Some of Our Laday’s main instructions at Fatima are to attend Mass on 5 first Saturdays. That means 5 times during the year, you should attend Saturday morning Mass along with Confession on the first weekend of the month.
The Saturday night Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation. The morning Mass is different.
She instructs us to pray 5 decades of the Rosary daily. The Rosary is a tremendous spiritual weapon (St. Padre Pio called it his weapon).
It will change your life. Satan and his minions are absolutely tortured by the Rosary. I will be doing a full article on this soon.
We also need to fast more. Fasting is not only spiritually healthy, it is physically healthy (especially in today’s obese society). Jesus even said in the New Testament that certain demons can only be exorcised through prayer and fasting.
I suggest fasting every Wednesday and Friday until dinner.
Let’s also dress properly for Sunday Mass. If you are wearing something you would not wear to a nice restaurant, you are under-dressed.
Men: no hats in Church. Women: your heads should be covered with either a hat or a chapel vail. St. Paul addresses this in Scripture:
Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife[ who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God. (1Corinthians 11:2-16)
Mass is also the perfect opportunity for parents to teach their children to sit quietly for an hour. Far too many times, I see children in church with books, toys, snacks, etc.
Parents think this helps the kids behave. It does the opposite. The kids fight over the goodies. They cause distractions to the children and those around them.
It is also important to spend time in Adoration praying before the Blessed Sacrament. This will bring you a sense of peace in stressful times.
Finally, I suggest at least at times getting to a traditional Latin Mass. This is how Mass was said pre-Vatican II.
Many who perform the Rite of Exorcism claim that the devil hates Latin. If the devil does not like it, it is good, plain and simple.
It makes you wonder why Francis from the Vatican shows such distain for the traditional Latin Mass. I admit, this is tough for those of us who did not grow up with it.
It is a little longer and most of us do not understand what is being said. However, when you attend you can sense that it is just holier than the Novus Ordo Mass.
Does this mean there are no good parish priests? Not at all.
Most I know and come across are good, solid men, far better men than me. However, they are under strain from above not to rock the boat too much.
We the laity can simply choose to live as traditional Catholics. We can make the Church strong again by producing good fruit.
Maybe the clergy will see this and follow suit. I can already hear the rationalizations.
Eh…eh…I just don’t get that much out of going to Mass. I know. I don’t always feel on fire practicing the faith either. Sometimes it can be a real grind.
That’s the sacrifice. Even when we don’t feel we are getting what we want, God is getting what He wants.
That’s really what matters. When we live to please God, we will be happier overall. Talk soon.
-Marksman
Amen!