4 months ago

209

Podcasts Education Catholic Reboot The Word Implanted and the Spirit Sent - Morning Episode

Nightly Zoom Coordinates for Rosary:
Meeting ID: 865 8978 0399
Passcode: Wjjv4960!
Speak Lord for your Servant is Listening
Book Recommendation of the Day
Life of St. Rita of Cascia, O.S.A. by Very Rev. Richard Connolly
Originally published in 1903, this detailed account offers insights into St. Rita's virtues and the challenges she faced.
You know I have people say that I should use more snappy and click bait type titles so people click on them. You may notice with my podcast. 1. I don’t look for clicks and likes and 2. I want people to follow me based on content and it’s my hope they learn from them. Above all I want to provide the true and unadulterated catholic faith. If they find value in them it is my hope they share them but only to glorify God and not me. Seriously, I could do so much more to advertise my podcast but I don’t. I want it to grow organically and as you notice by only having little over a 1,000 followers are 3,000+ episodes my podcast surely isn’t the most watched but if Christ could use 12 apostles to evangelize the entire world than we as laity need to do the same as the apostles and evangelize person by person.
Before I get into this morning’s episode I did several episodes that lined up the Traditional Mass with the New Mass (Novus Ordo) and explained how those changes completely bi-fracated and fracture the Holy sacrifice of the mass but also to get Catholics to truly know their mass and stop practicing what I consider a counterfeit mass. But this morning I want to just focus on the offertory of the new mass because maybe presenting an episode on all the changes was too much and most listeners probably glazed over after about 5 minutes and lost interest. So I decided before I do a morning episode I will simply provide snippets.
This morning I want to discuss something most people may not have noticed as they practiced their faith through mass because they were raised in the novus ordo mass and not the traditional mass but equally surprising how those raised in the traditional faith didn’t object to the change or at least require the priest to explain the change. So Walt what specific change are you referring to since there were so many. Well that would be the Presentation of the Gifts at offertory.
Most Catholics that attend the traditional mass will notice that after the Credo (Nicene Creed) the Priest says the offertory prayer and begins the offertory of the mass which comes before the consecration.
So lets see how they changed that.
They changed the offertory by having the faithful present the gifts of water and wine to the priest. Now what is the problem with the "Presentation of the Gifts" in the Novus Ordo Mass, particularly in contrast with the Traditional Latin Mass Offertory, emphasizing the theological, liturgical, and spiritual implications of the shift.
The Problem with the "Presentation of the Gifts" in the New Mass
In the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), the Offertory marks a profound and sacred moment in the Holy Sacrifice. The priest alone, as the ordained mediator approaches the altar and offers the bread and wine to God in propitiatory language, praying that this sacrifice may be acceptable for the forgiveness of sins and for the salvation of souls. The prayers are filled with expressions of humility, unworthiness, and a recognition of the sacred nature of the impending Sacrifice of Calvary.
However, in the Novus Ordo Missae promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, this sacred moment has been dramatically restructured. The Offertory was replaced by what is now called the "Presentation of the Gifts", a seemingly benign act where members of the laity bring the bread and wine forward to the altar while the priest recites a formula derived from Jewish table blessings. The prayers of oblation are simplified and horizontal in tone:
“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.”
While on the surface this formula may appear harmless or even poetic, it introduces several theological and liturgical problems.
1. A Shift from Sacrifice to Meal
The language of the TLM Offertory clearly prepares the soul and the altar for sacrifice. It recalls the Old Testament prefigurements of Christ's offering, and it identifies the priest as one who offers the spotless Victim to the Father. By contrast, the Novus Ordo language is drawn from Jewish table prayers, commonly used at meals. It emphasizes God's blessings in creation but omits the language of sacrifice, sin, and propitiation.
In removing this clear sacrificial language, the Presentation of the Gifts reflects a Protestantized theology that views the Mass primarily as a communal meal and not the unbloody re-presentation of Calvary.

2. The Elevation of Human Effort
The phrase “work of human hands” appears innocuously in the Presentation of the Gifts, but it is liturgically jarring. Throughout Sacred Scripture particularly in Psalm 115 and Psalm 135 the term “works of human hands” refers not to noble labor but to idolatrous artifacts, crafted by men and worshipped in place of the true God. By using this phrase at the moment the bread and wine are presented, the liturgy subtly shifts from God’s initiative in salvation to man’s contributions, even hinting at a form of self-glorification. It risks giving the impression that the Eucharist is somehow a product of man’s effort rather than a supernatural transformation wrought by divine grace.
3. Loss of the Priest’s Unique Role
In the Traditional Latin Mass, the priest alone handles the sacred species, assisted only by an ordained server or subdeacon. This reflects his role as alter Christus, another Christ, offering the sacrifice on behalf of the people. In the Novus Ordo, however, the laity are invited to “participate” by bringing up the gifts, diminishing the sacred distinction between the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the baptized.
This blurring of liturgical roles, while often presented as inclusive, undermines the hierarchical structure of the Church and contradicts the Council of Trent's clear affirmation of the priesthood’s unique sacrificial role.
4. Replacement of Ancient Prayers with Novel Inventions
The Offertory prayers in the TLM such as Suscipe, Sancte Pater, Deus qui humanae substantiae, and Offerimus tibi are centuries old, rich in theology, and deeply oriented toward the Cross. These prayers acknowledge sin, unworthiness, the reality of judgment, and the need for mercy.
In contrast, the Novus Ordo’s Presentation prayers are new creations, devised in the 1960s by liturgical reformers who intended to align Catholic worship more closely with Protestant and ecumenical sensibilities. As Cardinal Ottaviani warned in his 1969 “Intervention”, these changes represent not merely an aesthetic adjustment but a “striking departure from Catholic theology of the Mass as defined at Trent.”

Conclusion: Why It Matters
The seemingly small change from “Offertory” to “Presentation of the Gifts” is emblematic of a broader theological shift: from God-centered sacrifice to man-centered celebration; from the mystery of the Cross to the casualness of a meal; from sacred continuity to modern innovation.
For the faithful Catholic, these changes are not merely matters of taste or tradition they affect how the Eucharistic mystery is understood, revered, and believed. Lex orandi, lex credendi: the law of prayer is the law of belief. When we change how we worship, we inevitably change what we believe.
The return to the Traditional Latin Mass, with its solemn Offertory prayers and clear priestly mediation, is not a rejection of the Church, but a reaffirmation of her unbroken liturgical heritage a heritage that leads souls to Calvary, not to the dining hall.
Offertory – Presentation of the Gifts (Novus Ordo)
Priest:
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands,
it will become for us the bread of life.
Response: Blessed be God forever.
(Similarly with the wine):
...fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.
Traditional Latin Mass (Tridentine Rite) – Offertory
In contrast, the TLM Offertory prayers focus deeply on sacrifice, unworthiness, and propitiation, with no reference to “work of human hands.” For example:
Suscipe, sancte Pater...
Receive, O holy Father, almighty and eternal God, this spotless host, which I, Thine unworthy servant, offer unto Thee, my living and true God, for my numberless sins...
Theological Implications
The phrase "work of human hands" in the Novus Ordo has been criticized by some Traditional Catholics because:
• It shifts focus from the divine mystery and priestly mediation to human effort.
• It echoes Psalm 115 and Psalm 135, where "works of human hands" refers to idols, not to holy things.
• The TLM preserves a stronger sense of sacrifice, whereas the Novus Ordo Offertory is seen by critics as more horizontal and symbolic.
Thus, "work of human hands" is a post-Vatican II liturgical expression found only in the New Mass, not in the Canon of the Mass in the Traditional Latin liturgy.
Commentary from traditional theologians or liturgists like Archbishop Lefebvre or Pope Benedict XVI.
1. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (1905–1991)
“The Offertory of the New Mass was expunged of everything which expressed the sacrifice. There is no longer a question of sin, of propitiation, of sacrifice. The priest no longer acts as one who offers the Victim to God to obtain the remission of sins.”
— Open Letter to Confused Catholics
“By suppressing the Offertory and replacing it with a kind of Jewish table-blessing, the Reformers created a rupture... The New Offertory calls the bread and wine the 'work of human hands' a phrase drawn not from tradition but from modern anthropocentrism.”
2. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith before becoming pope
“A fabricated liturgy, a banal on-the-spot product,”
— Preface to Msgr. Klaus Gamber’s “The Reform of the Roman Liturgy”
“What happened after the Council was not what the Council Fathers intended. The old rite was never juridically abrogated, and the new liturgy often involved a rupture rather than a renewal in continuity.”
Ratzinger lamented the loss of theological depth in the new Offertory and saw the traditional prayers as essential to maintaining the sacrificial identity of the Mass.
3. Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani (1890–1979)
Head of the Holy Office (now CDF); author of the 1969 “Ottaviani Intervention” with Cardinal Bacci
“The Offertory no longer expresses the propitiatory nature of the Mass. It has been reduced to a presentation of gifts, more suited to a Protestant meal than the Catholic Sacrifice.”
The Ottaviani Intervention argued that the Offertory's suppression was part of a broader theological shift that made the New Mass "depart impressively from the theology of the Holy Mass as defined by the Council of Trent."
Key Concerns
Concern Traditional Catholic View
Loss of sacrificial language Removes reference to sin, sacrifice, and redemption from the offertory prayers.
Involvement of laity in priestly roles Undermines the sacred distinction between ordained priesthood and laity.
"Work of human hands" language Echoes Scriptural warnings about idols (Psalm 115), subtly shifting focus from God’s action to man’s effort.
Abandonment of ancient prayers Replaces deeply theological, centuries-old prayers with newly written formulas.
Lex orandi, lex credendi By changing how we pray, we risk changing what we believe.

Final Thought
The Offertory is not just a transition moment it is a theologically rich act of offering and immolation in preparation for the re-presentation of Calvary. To reduce it to a symbolic gesture of thanksgiving or a communal meal is to obscure the very heart of the Catholic Faith: the Cross of Christ offered anew on our altars.
As traditional Catholics, we hold fast to the sacred forms handed down through centuries not out of nostalgia, but out of fidelity to what the Church has always believed, taught, and prayed.
Psalm 115:4-8 (Douay-Rheims):
"The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men.
They have mouths and speak not: they have eyes and see not.
They have ears and hear not: they have noses and smell not.
They have hands and feel not: they have feet and walk not: neither shall they cry out through their throat.
Let them that make them become like unto them: and all such as trust in them."

“The Word Implanted and the Spirit Sent: Preparing for Pentecost with St. Rita of Cascia”
Today is Thursday after the Fourth Sunday after Easter, and the sacred liturgy continues to lead us step by step toward the great Feast of Pentecost.
In the Epistle, St. James exhorts us to purity, humility, and docility in receiving the Word of God. In the Gospel, Our Lord promises the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, who will convict the world and glorify Christ.
Providentially, today is also the feast of St. Rita of Cascia, a woman of profound suffering and miraculous sanctity—one who lived what both these readings invite us to embody.
Let us enter into these texts not just to understand them, but to be transformed by them.
Epistle – James 1:17–21
“Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights...”

Traditional Reflection:
St. James begins by reminding us that all good things are gifts from God, who is unchanging and radiant in light. But he goes further. He tells us that God, through His Word, begets us anew that we are reborn by truth, not by any worldly power.
He exhorts the faithful to:
• Be swift to hear: a heart open to instruction and correction
• Slow to speak: a tongue governed by prudence
• Slow to anger: a soul not ruled by emotion but by grace
• Cast off all filthiness: to be rid of sin and corruption
• Receive the engrafted Word: like a farmer receives the seed, nurturing it so it may bear fruit
This Word is not just Scripture. It is Christ Himself, the Eternal Logos, the Truth made flesh. And the Word does not flourish in prideful hearts. It requires meekness, which is not weakness but power under control, a spiritual readiness to submit our will to God’s.
As St. Teresa of Avila wrote:
“Humility is truth, and truth is humility.”
To receive the Holy Ghost, we must be purified vessels, emptied of self and filled with the desire for God alone.
Gospel – John 16:5–14
“It is expedient for you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you.”
Traditional Reflection:
Here, Our Lord speaks to His Apostles at the Last Supper. He is preparing them for His Ascension and for the coming of the Paraclete the Advocate, the Holy Ghost.
He explains that His departure is not a loss but a gift. For when He departs, He will send the Holy Ghost, Who will:
• Convict the world of sin: because it has rejected the Savior
• Convict of justice: by revealing the triumph of Christ's return to the Father
• Convict of judgment: because Satan, the prince of this world, is already judged
This conviction is not condemnation, but illumination. The Holy Ghost lays bare the heart, not to shame it, but to heal it. He teaches us truth, not novelty. He glorifies Christ, not Himself.
As Pope Leo XIII declared in Divinum Illud Munus:
“The Spirit of Truth... leads souls to Christ by bringing to remembrance all that He has said and done.”
This Gospel prepares us for Pentecost. But it also challenges us: Are we living in the light of the Spirit, or in the shadows of the world?
Saint of the Day – St. Rita of Cascia († 1457)
Today we celebrate St. Rita of Cascia, the “Saint of the Impossible.” She was:
• A faithful wife in a difficult marriage
• A mother who forgave her husband’s murderers
• A widow who entered religious life and bore a mystical wound on her forehead, sharing in Christ’s Crown of Thorns
St. Rita exemplifies today’s readings:
• She received the Word of God with meekness and bore abundant fruit
• She lived under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, embracing suffering with patience, prayer, and supernatural peace
• She did not resist grace, but allowed it to convict, heal, and transform her
She reminds us that holiness is not an escape from suffering but its sanctification.
Three Quotes for Meditation
James 1:21
“Receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
John 16:13
“When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will teach you all truth.”
St. Rita of Cascia
“I would willingly suffer all that my Lord would send me, for I know it is all for my good.”
Conclusionary Prayer
O Spirit of Truth, Divine Paraclete, descend upon our souls and purify us of all pride, impurity, and hardness of heart. Make us docile to Thy inspirations, eager to hear Thy Word, and zealous to live the truth of Christ.
Through the intercession of St. Rita of Cascia, help us to bear our sufferings with grace, to forgive our enemies, and to welcome the Cross as the means to sanctity.
O Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, pray for us.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.