Episode 3096: The New Mass: The Fracturing of Holy Communion and the Plumb-Line - Morning Episode

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Book Recommendation of the Day
Ecclesiastical History of the English People
• Bede's most renowned work, chronicling the history of the English Church and its people up to 731 AD.
• Available in various editions, including translations by Leo Sherley-Price and J.A. Giles.
Before we get into this morning episode let me discuss with you, "The Fracture in the Reception of Holy Communion”
To examine how the mode and spirit of receiving Holy Communion has significantly changed since the implementation of the Novus Ordo Mass in 1969, and how these changes have led to a rupture in Catholic liturgical tradition.
The Traditional Latin Mass: A Sacred Encounter
Reception of Communion in the TLM:
• Posture: Always kneeling (unless impeded by health).
• Reception: On the tongue only.
• Administered by: A priest whose fingers are consecrated, often assisted by a paten held by an altar server.
• Communion Rail: Symbolizes the boundary between heaven (sanctuary) and earth (nave).
• Language: Latin, the sacred language of the Church.
• Prayerful Preparation: Long silence before and after Communion; deep reverence emphasized.
Spiritual Theology:
• Rooted in a theology of awe, unworthiness, and divine majesty.
• Emphasizes the Real Presence and the sanctity of the Eucharist.
The Novus Ordo Mass: A Shift in Emphasis
Reception of Communion in the Novus Ordo (Post-1969):
• Posture: Often standing.
• Reception: Commonly in the hand (though on the tongue is still permitted).
• Administered by: Priests, deacons, and lay Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
• Language: Usually vernacular.
• Communion Procession: More casual; sometimes accompanied by music or talking.
Theological Shift:
• Emphasizes communal participation over awe and adoration.
• Decreased focus on personal unworthiness and sacrificial dimension of the Mass.
The Disruption of Holy Communion in the Novus Ordo and the Plumb Line of the Faith
One of the most visible and spiritually significant ruptures introduced by the Novus Ordo Mass pertains to the reception and distribution of Holy Communion. In the traditional Latin Mass (the Tridentine Rite), Holy Communion was and still is treated with the utmost reverence: the faithful received kneeling, on the tongue, from the consecrated hands of the priest alone, who had himself prepared with fasting, prayers, and ritual purification. This manner of reception, marked by humility and awe, reflected a deeply rooted belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
However, in the Novus Ordo Missae, radical changes were introduced. Communion in the hand became widely practiced even normalized despite not being part of the original 1969 Missal. Furthermore, standing reception replaced kneeling, and lay extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion began distributing the sacrament. These shifts, far from being merely "pastoral accommodations," profoundly altered the theology expressed through the liturgy. Where once the priest an alter Christus alone administered the sacred Host, now unconsecrated hands routinely touch the Blessed Sacrament. Where once the communicant knelt in adoration, now they often stand in casual reception.
This rupture in practice signals a rupture in belief. Lex orandi, lex credenda the law of prayer is the law of belief. If our gestures no longer reflect the sacredness and mystery of the Eucharist, our belief in that mystery is inevitably weakened. As Pope Benedict XVI once remarked, "The Eucharist does not lose its grandeur when celebrated in a humble chapel... but it loses something essential when it is no longer clear that what is happening is a sacred act."
From a traditional Catholic standpoint, these changes violate what might be called the plumb line of the liturgy and the Faith. In the Old Testament, God speaks to the prophet Amos and declares, “Behold I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel” (Amos 7:8). A plumb line is used to test whether a structure is vertically straight a symbol of divine judgment and the standard of righteousness. In Catholic tradition, this image can be understood spiritually as God's unchanging standard of Truth and order, especially in the sacred liturgy.
The traditional Roman Rite, organically developed and refined over centuries, held fast to that plumb line. Every gesture, every word, every rubric was a careful alignment with the gravity and holiness of the Eucharistic mystery. The rupture introduced by the Novus Ordo in form, in practice, and in tone has tilted the structure away from that line. The faithful are no longer directed upward in awe, but horizontally in human-centered accessibility. The vertical dimension so critical to liturgy, where heaven meets earth is obscured by a horizontal, often banal, approach that prioritizes comfort over reverence, and efficiency over sanctity.
The fragmentation of liturgical discipline each parish, even each priest, doing what is "pastoral" in his own eyes echoes the same disorder that the plumb line of Amos was meant to measure and condemn. Just as Israel’s deviation from God’s commands led to destruction, so too does the Church's deviation from her sacred liturgical tradition threaten the integrity of her worship and her witness.
Thus, restoring the traditional form of Holy Communion is not about aesthetics or nostalgia. It is about re-aligning ourselves with the divine plumb line restoring reverence, orthodoxy, and the deep sense of mystery and humility before the Real Presence. Only when we recover how we act in the presence of the Sacred will we recover what we believe about the Sacred.

What Did Vatican II Actually Say?
Council Documents and Holy Communion:
• Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy:
o Did not mandate communion in the hand or receiving while standing.
o Did not authorize lay ministers distributing Communion.
Traditional Perspective:
• The implementation of these changes post-council exceeded the Council’s actual mandates.
• The innovations were introduced through post-conciliar commissions, not the Council Fathers.
Quotes from Saints and Church Fathers
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th Century):
“[After receiving the Body of Christ]… take care lest you lose any of it… it is more precious than gold or jewels.”
Pope St. Pius X:
“The Holy Eucharist is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.”
Cardinal Sarah (Prefect Emeritus of the CDW):
“We must kneel before the Eucharist! Receiving Communion in the hand, standing, has led to grave loss of faith.”
A Call for Restoration
What the Traditional Catholic Seeks:
• Return to kneeling and reception on the tongue.
• Restoration of priestly reverence and awe before the mystery.
• Elimination of extraordinary ministers except in dire necessity.
• A re-reading of Vatican II in continuity with tradition not rupture.
• Rebuilding of Eucharistic faith through beauty, silence, and mystery.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
• The way we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion reflects what we believe about Him.
• The changes in the Novus Ordo Mass have caused a serious liturgical and theological fracture.
• True liturgical renewal must align with Catholic Tradition, not depart from it.
• The path forward is not innovation, but restoration rooted in the wisdom of the saints, the Fathers, and centuries of Catholic worship.

"Salt of the Earth, Light of the World: The Call to Endure and Illuminate"
Liturgical Day:
Tuesday after the Fifth Sunday after Easter
Before reading and explaining scripture for today I want to read something from Venerable Archbishop Sheen.
“The Greek origin of the word patience suggests two ideas: one continuance, the other submission. Combined, they mean submissive waiting; a frame of mind which is willing to wait because it knows it thus serves God and His holy purposes.
A person who believes in nothing beyond this world is very impatient, because he has only a limited time in which to satisfy his wants.
Patience is not something one is born with; it is something that is achieved. Sight is a gift of nature, but seeing has to be won. So it is with self-possession and patience; such a virtue is developed by resistance and control.
There are many who excuse themselves, saying that if they were in other circumstances they would be much more patient. It makes little difference where we are; it all depends on what we are thinking about. What happens to us is not so important, but rather how we react to what happens.
Tribulation tries the soul, and in the strong it develops patience, and patience, in its turn, hope.”
What is Archbishop Sheen saying, if it isn’t obvious. Well, In a world that glorifies instant gratification, where discomfort is avoided at all costs, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s meditation on patience cuts deep into the heart of Christian virtue. He reminds us that the Greek origin of patience meaning “submissive waiting” is not passivity but a powerful act of the will aligned with divine Providence.
From a traditional Catholic perspective, patience is not mere stoic endurance. It is a supernatural virtue, infused by grace, by which the soul submits to God’s will, not begrudgingly, but with peace and trust in His timing.
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches in the Summa Theologica that patience is part of the virtue of fortitude, which "strengthens man against the onslaughts of sorrow." (ST II-II, Q.136) The patient soul bears suffering without abandoning what is good. Patience is not weakness; it is the tempered strength of a soul who waits upon the Lord with the understanding that God sanctifies us through delay, suffering, and trial.
"Sight is a gift of nature," says Sheen, "but seeing must be won." So it is with patience. We may be given time, but learning to wait upon God in that time is an acquired spiritual maturity. Saints like St. Monica, who prayed for the conversion of her son for nearly two decades, or St. Joseph, who bore the uncertainties of his vocation in silence, are masterful examples of submissive waiting. They teach us that true patience is not resignation it is cooperation with grace.
In the life of Christ, patience was evident in His Passion: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). He submitted to the Father’s will without resistance, modeling perfect trust. As traditional Catholics, we are called to imitate Christ crucified, especially in how we respond to trials.
The modern mind excuses impatience as temperament. “If I were in different circumstances,” we say, “I’d be more virtuous.” But virtue doesn’t depend on our surroundings it’s proven in how we respond to them.

Episode Introduction:
Welcome to today’s episode of Tradition & Truth, where we reflect on the timeless truths of the Catholic Faith through the lens of the Church’s liturgical life.
Today is Tuesday, May 27, 2025, and according to the 1962 Roman Calendar and the 1945 St. Andrew Missal, it is the Tuesday after the Fifth Sunday after Easter.
Today, the Church also traditionally commemorates St. Bede the Venerable, a Doctor of the Church, known for his profound wisdom, holiness, and dedication to preserving the early history of the Church in England.
Scripture Readings for Today
Epistle – 2 Timothy 4:1–8
"I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by His coming and His kingdom: Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine..."
Gospel – Matthew 5:13–19
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? ... You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven..."
Reflection on the Epistle – 2 Timothy 4:1–8
St. Paul, nearing the end of his life, writes to his spiritual son Timothy, urging him to stay strong in his mission of preaching the Word. Paul reminds him and us of the judgment of Christ and the necessity to be faithful, regardless of circumstances.
This reading strikes at the heart of the modern crisis of lukewarm clergy and laity. Many today wait for the "right season" to speak the truth, but St. Paul insists: be instant in season and out of season. This is a timeless admonition against modern human respect and ecclesial cowardice. In the face of moral relativism, false ecumenism, and doctrinal ambiguity, the Traditional Catholic must remain unshakably rooted in the Deposit of Faith.
Paul also forewarns of a time when people “will not endure sound doctrine.” Are we not living in such a time? The Faith is diluted, and the Mass is trivialized. But the true Catholic must echo Paul’s words: “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith.”

Reflection on the Gospel – Matthew 5:13–19
Our Lord tells us plainly: “You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world.” These words are both an honor and a burden. Salt preserves from corruption. Light dispels darkness. As Traditional Catholics, we are called to preserve doctrine, tradition, reverence, and moral order amid a world and a Church increasingly indifferent to them.
Our Lord speaks of the salt losing its savor. This is not a neutral scenario. It is a condemnation. “It is good for nothing anymore but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.” If we fail to preserve the Truth, we become as useless as flavorless salt a chilling thought.
Our witness must not be hidden, our reverence not silent. In our words, in our families, in our attire, in our attendance at the Traditional Latin Mass we must reflect the light of Christ, not to bring glory to ourselves, but that others “may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”
Traditional Feast of the Day: St. Bede the Venerable
St. Bede (d. 735 A.D.) was a Benedictine monk, historian, and Doctor of the Church. His most famous work, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, is a cornerstone of Catholic scholarship. He was known for his humility, wisdom, and love for the Sacred Liturgy.
St. Bede reminds us that holiness comes not only from great acts, but from a lifetime of fidelity to prayer, study, and sacrifice even in obscurity.
Thematic Quotes:
• “To be a light to others, one must be burning with the fire of Divine Love.” — St. John Vianney
• “It is better to be persecuted for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie.” — St. Athanasius
• “He who does not progress, loses ground.” — Pope St. Pius X
Conclusionary Prayer:
O God, who through Thy holy Apostle Paul and Thy Divine Son didst teach us to proclaim the Truth in season and out of season, grant us the grace to remain ever faithful to the deposit of faith. May we be salt to preserve Thy truth in a corrupt world and light to shine in the midst of darkness.
Through the intercession of St. Bede the Venerable, may we imitate his love for sacred doctrine, fidelity to tradition, and humility in study and work.
O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, guide us in this mission of truth.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
St. Bede the Venerable, pray for us.
St. Paul the Apostle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, protect us.
Thank you for listening to today’s episode of Tradition & Truth. Stay strong in the Faith, be salt and light, and never lose the savor of Tradition. Until next time God bless you and keep you in His grace.