Episode 3092: The New Mass: The Prayers at the Foot of the Altar and the Plumb-Line - Morning Episode

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Book Recommendation of the Day
The Life of St. John Baptist de Rossi
• Author: Translated from the Italian by Lady Herbert
• Publisher: hansebooks
• Publication Date: January 3, 2019
Length: 340 pages
This biography offers an in-depth look at the life of St. John Baptist de Rossi, an Italian priest renowned for his humility, charity, and dedication to the poor and sick in Rome during the 18th century. The book delves into his early life, his struggles with epilepsy, his ordination, and his tireless work in the slums and hospitals of Rome. It also highlights his profound impact as a confessor and his unwavering commitment to serving the marginalized.
In yesterdays episode I opened up in talking about how the new mass fractured the offertory part of the mass. Before we get started today I wanted to say a little something about The Sacred Approach and Understanding the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. You will notice in the new mass the priest will do what I call the “Novus Ordo Hop” down the main isle and rush right up to the altar to begin mass. The local pastor asked if I could teach his altar boys how to serve the mass. It’s the Novus Ordo mass. I said I can’t do that because it would force you to say the mass the correct way. He said what do you mean? I said if I taught the altar boys how to join you at the foot of the altar, knee and say the prayers at the foot of the altar which includes the confiditor would you do that? He said no of course not because my Bishop wouldn’t allow it. I said the Bishop has no right to stop you from saying prayers at the foot of the altar. He said you want to bet? Now you may me asking me what I am talking about.
In the Traditional Latin Mass, the priest begins not at the altar, but before it. He kneels at the base of the sanctuary steps, separated from the altar like the Israelites from Mount Sinai. Here, he recites Psalm 42“Judica me, Deus” “Judge me, O God” or more precisely, “Vindicate me, O God.” a prayer of longing, purification, and divine justice.
• The priest prays, “Introibo ad altare Dei”- “I will go unto the altar of God.”
• The server responds, “Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam” - “To God who gives joy to my youth.”
This sacred exchange is not a formality. It expresses the humility of the priest, who acknowledges his own unworthiness before ascending to the altar, where he will soon offer the unbloody Sacrifice of Calvary.
It is followed by the Confiteor, a public confession of sin by both priest and servers, repeated twice underscoring the necessity of spiritual purity before participating in the sacred mysteries. Do you remember the true Confiteor?
I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to Blessed Michael the Archangel, to Blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
This entire act is a rite of purification a mini-penitential rite that mirrors the Jewish priest’s ritual washings before entering the Holy of Holies.
❝These prayers remind us that we are not ready to approach God until we kneel before Him in contrition.❞
The Spiritual Meaning of Kneeling Before the Altar
Kneeling is more than posture. It is doctrine in action.
• The Church Fathers taught that one who dares approach the altar must do so as Moses did: with fear and trembling, removing his sandals before holy ground.
• The altar is not a table for a meal it is an altar of sacrifice, a new Calvary.
• By kneeling first, the priest teaches the people that the sacred requires preparation, not performance.
This moment expresses a vertical orientation of the liturgy. The Mass is directed toward Heaven, toward the Father, through Christ, by the hands of the priest. It is not a conversation between the priest and the people—it is a divine act offered on their behalf.
The silence, the Latin, the bowed head all teach that something supernatural is about to occur.
What Was Lost in the Novus Ordo Reform
With the 1969 introduction of the Novus Ordo Missae, the prayers at the foot of the altar were eliminated. The priest now walks directly to the altar and greets the people.
What was the rationale?
• To make the Mass more "accessible," "dialogical," and "communal."
• To emphasize the gathered assembly more than the priest as sacrificial mediator.
• To modernize and simplify rites that were seen as “repetitive” or “unintelligible.”
But the consequences were profound:
• The loss of the initial act of humility and confession undermines the awareness of sin.
• The immediate face-to-face greeting shifts the focus from God to the congregation.
• The priest becomes a presider or facilitator, rather than an alter Christus standing at the foot of the Cross.
Without the sacred threshold, the Mass risks becoming horizontal, even theatrical.
❝By bypassing the foot of the altar, we bypass the very spirit of penance and preparation.❞
The Theological and Spiritual Impact
The change in liturgical structure reflects a change in theology.
In the Traditional Latin Mass:
• The Mass is seen as a propitiatory sacrifice, offered for sins, for the living and the dead.
• The priest is a sacrificial mediator, distinct from the people.
• Sacred space is carefully marked and guarded altar rails, sanctuary steps, tabernacle at the center.
In the Novus Ordo:
• The Mass is often understood as a communal meal or celebration.
• The priest often faces the people, speaking to them, rather than leading them to God.
• The sense of sacred space has been lost in many parishes altar rails removed, tabernacle displaced, silence broken.
This is not merely an aesthetic change. It is a spiritual rupture.
❝Lex orandi, lex credenda As we pray, so we believe. If the Mass teaches less reverence, our faith will reflect that loss.❞
A Call to Restoration
To restore reverence, we must restore the forms that teach it.
• Return to the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.
• Encourage priests to rediscover the depth of their vocation as sacrificial mediators.
• Catechize the faithful in the meaning of these gestures—so that the heart, too, kneels.
• Support the growth of Traditional Latin Mass communities that preserve this ancient treasure.
This is not about nostalgia. It is about truth. About giving God what is due to Him in worship, and training our souls to see the altar not as a stage, but as Mount Calvary.
“The Word Implanted, the Spirit Sent: A Path to Purity and Truth”
As we journey through this blessed Eastertide, Paschaltide Holy Mother Church continues to prepare us for the glorious Feast of Pentecost. Today, the liturgy speaks to our hearts about the power of the Word of God and the mission of the Holy Ghost, both of which work together to transform souls from within.
In today’s readings, we are invited to cast off impurity, to receive the truth with humility, and to become docile to the Spirit who convicts the world and glorifies Christ.
Let us listen closely to today’s sacred readings.
Epistle – James 1:17–21
"Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures. You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore, casting away all uncleanness and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls."
Traditional Catholic Reflection:
St. James reminds us of something foundational: all good and perfect gifts including grace, faith, wisdom, and virtue descend from the Father of Lights, who is without change or shadow. He is pure, eternal, and wholly good.
And we, made in His image, are called to reflect that unchanging goodness.
But how?
James teaches that we must first put away all uncleanness—all impurity of mind, body, and speech. We cannot receive divine truth if we are still clinging to sin. The seed of the Word cannot grow in soil polluted by pride, anger, impurity, or rash judgment.
As St. John Chrysostom said,
“The reading of Scripture is a great safeguard against sin; ignorance of Scripture is a great cause of it.”
And so, with meekness, not arrogance, we are to receive the ingrafted Word—a beautiful image of God’s truth being planted into our souls, to grow and bear fruit if only we cooperate.
The Word must not remain external, but become internal. Not simply heard, but lived.
Gospel – John 16:5–14
"But now I go to him that sent me: and none of you asketh me: Whither goest thou? But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment. Of sin: because they believed not in me. And of justice: because I go to the Father; and you shall see me no longer. And of judgment: because the prince of this world is already judged. I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall show you. He shall glorify me; because he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you."
Traditional Catholic Reflection:
Here, at the Last Supper, Our Lord speaks solemnly to His Apostles, preparing them for His Passion and Ascension. He says something they cannot yet understand: “It is better for you that I go.”
Why? Because in going, He will send the Paraclete the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth.
The Holy Ghost will:
• Convince the world of sin, showing that unbelief is the root of all evil.
• Convince of justice, by showing that Christ is the Righteous One who returns to the Father.
• Convince of judgment, revealing that the prince of this world—Satan—is already condemned.
The Holy Ghost does not come to entertain or soothe the flesh. He comes to convict, to purify, and to glorify Christ in us.
As St. Basil the Great wrote:
“The Spirit, coming to dwell in the soul purified of sin, illumines it and makes it spiritual.”
Let us ask: are we resisting this Spirit? Or do we welcome Him? Have we cleansed the temple of our hearts so that He may dwell within us?
Now is the time to prepare—not only for Pentecost, but for eternity.
Saint of the Day – St. John Baptist de Rossi (†1764)
Though not always commemorated universally, today in the Traditional Calendar also honors St. John Baptist de Rossi, a Roman priest known for his holiness, humility, and untiring ministry to the poor and the sick.
He was:
• A tireless confessor
• A catechist to the poor and uneducated
• A faithful preacher of repentance and mercy
St. John lived both today’s readings: he received the Word with humility, and he allowed the Holy Ghost to shape him into a vessel of God’s love.
May we do the same.
Quotes for Meditation
St. 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. Augustine
“He who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks many languages, for charity speaks all tongues.”
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🙏 Conclusionary Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, Word made flesh, who didst ascend to the Father that the Holy Ghost might be sent, prepare our souls to receive Thy Spirit. Cleanse us of pride and impurity, and plant Thy Word deep in our hearts.
Through the intercession of St. John Baptist de Rossi, may we live in humility, serve in charity, and remain steadfast in the truth, until Thou comest in glory.
O Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost, prepare us for His coming. Teach us to be silent, receptive, and obedient to grace.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.