Episode 3163: From Calvary to Charisma: How the Mass Lost Its Center

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Book Recommendation of the Day
The Roman Martyrology (Pre-1955 Edition)
Lists the Seven Holy Machabees under August 1st, with brief descriptions of their martyrdom and significance in Church tradition.
So after we finished our MPH Novena last night I was returning the picture to the devotional area of the church and there was a woman on the altar kneeing in from of the tabernacle. Now, first of all there is a separate chapel outside the vestibule for eucharistic adoration. I approached the altar rail and told her it was not right that she was in the sanctuary let alone approach the tabernacle area that is reserved for the priest. She looked at me and said who are you to tell me to leave? I said it is not proper for you to cross over the nave onto the altar and she just ignored me and continued praying.
There was also an incident in the church when a man went onto the altar and placed his hand on the tabernacle to pray.
In the adoration chapel you see people of Mexican decent placing their hands on the glass that houses the monstrance exposing the blessed sacrament and others laying prostrate on the floor before the monstrance.
Now many would say, as long as she is showing respect and praying you should leave her alone. Well that is incorrect for several reasons.
it is inappropriate for a layperson to cross from the nave of the church into the sanctuary especially past the communion rail because of the sacredness and hierarchical nature of the space, as well as longstanding liturgical tradition and reverence for the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
1. Understanding the Church's Sacred Architecture
In traditional church design:
Nave: The area where the faithful (laity) gather.
Sanctuary: The most sacred part of the church, elevated and set apart, where the altar is located and the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered.
Communion rail: Serves both a physical and symbolic function dividing the laity from the sanctuary and reminding all of the hierarchical distinction between the ordained priesthood and the faithful.
The sanctuary symbolizes Heaven or the Holy of Holies. Only those who are ordained or formally instituted (e.g., altar servers, acolytes, or sacristans) and properly disposed may enter and then only for sacred duties.
2. The Principle of Sacred Order (Ordo)
The Church has always held to a divinely instituted hierarchy certain roles and spaces are reserved for those consecrated or set apart for sacred functions. The Council of Trent affirms this sacred order in its teaching on the priesthood.
Allowing lay people to freely move into the sanctuary, especially during or around the Sacred Liturgy, is seen as a disruption of the liturgical order, a disregard for the sacred, and a blurring of the distinction between the ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood of the faithful.
3. Reverence for the Blessed Sacrament
The sanctuary houses the tabernacle, where the Real Presence of Christ dwells. To approach this space casually or without necessity shows a lack of reverence.
St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, insists that the things of God must be handled with utmost reverence and by those properly trained and instituted (ST III, Q. 82). Unauthorized entrance into the sanctuary is, traditionally, seen as irreverent and presumptuous.
4. Canon Law and Liturgical Norms
Even pre-Vatican II rubrics and traditional liturgical norms clearly restricted sanctuary access. Only clerics, instituted acolytes, or authorized servers in proper vesture could enter the sanctuary.
Today, though norms have relaxed in the Novus Ordo environment, in traditional Latin Mass communities or under the 1962 Missal (e.g., FSSP, ICKSP), the old rules are still expected:
The sanctuary remains off-limits to laity except when absolutely necessary and under strict guidance (e.g., a woman may clean the sanctuary only under certain protocols and reverently).
5. Historical and Scriptural Foundation
This tradition is deeply rooted in Scripture and the Old Testament:
In the Temple of Jerusalem, only the priests could enter the Holy Place, and only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and only once a year (Lev. 16:2–34).
Uzzah was struck dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant, even with good intentions (2 Sam. 6:6–7). This illustrates the seriousness of approaching holy things in an unauthorized way.
The altar is now the New Testament fulfillment of the Holy of Holies, and the priest offers the Sacrifice not the people. The laity may participate spiritually, but not physically by entering the sanctuary.
From a traditional Catholic view, a layperson entering the sanctuary is inappropriate because:
• It violates the sacred hierarchy and liturgical order.
• It disrespects the Real Presence of Christ.
• It blurs the line between the ordained and the laity.
• It undermines centuries of reverent tradition rooted in Scripture, theology, and canon law.
Quote to Reflect:
“No one may touch the sacred vessels except those who are consecrated to the Lord.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
these norms are not about exclusion, but about preserving reverence, order, and the mystery of the sacred.
From Calvary to Charisma: How the Mass Lost Its Center
We will explore the sacred treasures of the Catholic faith through the lens of the unchanging traditions handed down through the centuries. To begin many charismatic Catholics take it upon themselves to raise their hands during the mass when certain prayers are recited or as I spoke about laying prostrate in front of the monstrance in eucharistic adoration or actually touching the glass that houses the holy eucharist and also the tabernacle. What they do not realize is that these are all reserved for only the priest and not the laity.
We’ll be diving deep into how the Charismatic Movement, though often promoted as “spirit-filled,” has deeply influenced the Church's liturgy, redirecting its sacred character into a subjective and emotional experience. We’ll also discuss why practices like raising hands or holding hands during the Our Father are not proper within the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Segment 1: What is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
Let us begin by reaffirming the central truth:
The Mass is not entertainment. It is not an emotional experience designed to make us “feel good.” It is the re-presentation of Calvary, the same Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, made present on our altars in an unbloody manner.
The Council of Trent taught infallibly that the Mass is a true propitiatory sacrifice, not a communal meal. Pope Pius XII, in Mediator Dei, warned against the idea of turning the liturgy into “a human invention,” reminding us that the Mass is primarily an act of adoration offered to God.
When the Mass becomes about us our emotions, our gestures, our songs we dethrone Christ and enthrone ourselves.
Segment 2: The Rise of the Charismatic Movement
The Charismatic Movement entered the Catholic Church around the late 1960s, heavily influenced by Protestant Pentecostalism. It emphasized speaking in tongues, emotional expressions, spontaneous prayers, and music styles foreign to Catholic worship.
Many within the movement began raising their hands, clapping, dancing, and even “resting in the Spirit” during or outside the Mass. Over time, this mentality seeped into the liturgy, particularly in the Novus Ordo, weakening the sense of the sacred and of objective Truth.
As Fr. Chad Ripperger has said, “When the focus is on your experience and how you feel, you’re no longer worshipping God. You’re worshipping your feelings.”
This is a tragic departure from the Mass as offered by saints like Padre Pio or St. John Vianney, who were immersed in awe, silence, and trembling before the Lord.
Segment 3: The Improper Gestures of the Laity
Let's speak about two very common but improper practices within the Mass:
1. Laity raising their hands like priests (known as the “Orans” posture),
2. Holding hands during the Our Father.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) is clear that the Orans posture is reserved for the priest, who stands “in persona Christi”—in the person of Christ. When laypeople mimic this gesture, it blurs the line between clergy and laity, a problem Pope Pius X strongly warned against in his anti-modernist reforms.
Similarly, holding hands during the Our Father is not prescribed by the Church in any official liturgical rubrics. This practice was introduced by laypeople, not by Rome. It turns the sacred liturgy into a horizontal expression of human affection, when the Our Father is meant to be a vertical plea to the Eternal Father.
When we replace sacred posture with sentimentality, we lose the sense of divine worship.
St. Alphonsus Liguori once wrote, “The Mass is the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven. We must attend it with fear and trembling.” There is no room for “feel-good” improvisation in the shadow of Calvary.
Segment 4: The Fruits of Charismatic Influence
Now, let us “judge the tree by its fruits,” as Our Lord teaches in Matthew 7:16.
• Has the rise of Charismatic-style Masses led to greater reverence for the Blessed Sacrament?
• Has it led to an increase in vocations, Eucharistic Adoration, or devotion to the Rosary?
• Or has it led to a collapse of silence, a confusion of roles, and a sentimental, therapeutic culture within our parishes?
In many places, reverence is all but gone. Music is loud, clapping is frequent, and Christ truly present on the altar is ignored in favor of human-centered exuberance. This is not Catholic worship. This is spiritual disorder.
As the great liturgist Dom Prosper Guéranger said:
“The liturgy is the highest expression of the Church’s doctrine. If you want to see what a Church believes, look at how she prays.”
Segment 5: Returning to Reverence
Traditional Catholic liturgy especially the Traditional Latin Mass restores a proper understanding of the Mass as worship, not fellowship; as sacrifice, not entertainment.
The posture of the faithful is one of:
• Kneeling, not performing.
• Silence, not speaking out loud.
• Interior participation, not exterior showmanship.
If we truly love Christ, we must approach Him as the saints did—with fear, with trembling, with adoration.
"Faith in Trial, Courage in Witness: Lessons from the Machabees and the Gospel"
THE EPISTLE
Hebrews 11:33-39
Brethren: The saints, by faith, conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection. Others had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bands and prisons. They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted: of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth. And all these, being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise: God providing some better thing for us.
THE HOLY GOSPEL
Luke 12:1–8
At that time: When great multitudes stood about Jesus, so that they trod one upon another, He began to say to His disciples: “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: nor hidden that shall not be known. For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall be published in the light: and that which you have spoken in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the housetops. And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will shew you whom you shall fear: Fear ye Him, who after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear Him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows. And I say to you: Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.”
REFLECTION:
These two powerful readings are a lesson in true faith, steadfast courage, and eternal vision.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul recounts the heroic acts and suffering endured by the just of the Old Testament. These were not abstract believers—they were men and women who conquered kingdoms, endured martyrdom, wandered destitute, and preferred eternal glory over earthly deliverance. This passage reminds us that true faith is proven in the crucible of suffering, not comfort. Notice that it ends saying “received not the promise”—because that promise was fulfilled in Christ. They suffered for a glory yet unseen.
The Gospel reminds us of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and how no falsehood or compromise will remain hidden. Christ's call is clear: Do not fear man, but God. For man can only kill the body—but God can judge the soul. Yet He is also our loving Father, who counts every hair of our head. We are called to fear Him reverently, yet trust Him wholeheartedly.
The juxtaposition is perfect: the Epistle shows us what heroic faith looks like, and the Gospel tells us whom to fear, and whom to trust. In an age where so many fear offending man more than offending God, these words cut deeply.
SAINT OF THE DAY:
The Seven Holy Machabees, Martyrs
Today we commemorate the Seven Holy Machabees, the mother and her seven sons who were martyred by King Antiochus IV in the second century before Christ. Their story is found in 2 Maccabees chapter 7. Each of the sons, tortured before their mother, refused to break the law of God by eating pork—choosing death over sin. Their mother, far from pleading for their lives, encouraged them to die rather than offend God. She too, was eventually martyred.
The Church honors them as saints, even though they lived before Christ, because they died in fidelity to God's law, prefiguring the Christian martyrs.
The Machabees embody the Epistle and the Gospel today. They feared not those who could kill the body, but were faithful unto death, confident in the resurrection.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:
Let us reflect:
• Am I prepared to endure hardship for the faith, or do I flee from even the smallest discomfort?
• Do I live to please God, or do I fear the opinions of others more?
• Would I confess Christ boldly before men, trusting that He will one day confess me before the angels?
The time for comfortable Christianity has passed. It is now the time for the Machabees, the martyrs, the confessors, and the faithful remnant. Let us take courage from their witness.
CLOSING PRAYER:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O Lord our God, You are the strength of martyrs and the light of the just. We give Thee thanks for the example of the Seven Holy Machabees, who despised this life for the sake of eternal glory. Grant us, through their intercession, the grace to remain steadfast in faith, unmoved by the fear of man, and ever loyal to Thy commandments. Strengthen our hearts, that we may confess Thee boldly before men, and receive Thy mercy at the judgment. May we walk the narrow path with courage, guided by Thy truth, and live always in the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Thank you for joining us on Tradition & Triumph. Until next time, may the Blessed Virgin Mary keep you under her mantle, and may the example of the saints inspire you to pursue holiness with zeal.
Goodbye, and God bless you.