✝️THE ONE PART OF THE MASS THAT MOST CATHOLICS TREAT AS ORDINARY… BUT ANGELS FALL ON THEIR FACES _____________________ There is a moment in the Mass when heaven does something you never see… because you’re too used to hearing the same words every Sunday. A part of the Mass we treat as routine… while angels cannot remain standing. It happens right before the Consecration. It’s the Sanctus - “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts…” What you whisper… angels shout In Isaiah 6, the prophet sees heaven. Not clouds, not harps, but seraphim, the highest choir of angels. These beings are so radiant that Isaiah writes: “With two wings they covered their faces.” Why? Because even angels cannot look directly at God’s holiness. And what were they shouting? “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts!” The same words you repeat every Sunday. At the Sanctus, earth and heaven collide The Church doesn’t sing the Sanctus because it’s beautiful. She sings it because heaven is singing it right at that moment. This is the part of Mass when: The veil between earth and heaven becomes razor thin. Angels descend around the altar. The liturgy of heaven and the liturgy of earth become one song. Saint John Chrysostom said: “At the Sanctus, countless angels bow their faces to the ground.” What Catholics recite casually, angels proclaim trembling. Why this moment is not ordinary You’re not “starting a prayer.” You’re joining a cosmic chorus that began before time. The sanctuary becomes Isaiah’s vision. The altar becomes the throne. The priest’s voice becomes the voice of the heavenly liturgy. The Sanctus prepares the universe for what comes next: God Himself descends onto the altar. That is why angels fall prostrate… and why Catholics should never say the Sanctus as if it were wallpaper in the Mass. Next Sunday, don’t rush it When you hear: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts…” know this: Heaven is singing with you. Angels are bowing beside you. And the King you praise is about to arrive on the altar. Nothing in that moment is ordinary. Nothing. #catholicsonlineclass _______________
Yes, I must picture in my mind the key point at every single Holy Mass I attend, no matter it be an incense-filled TLM on a major feast, or a mundane Novus Ordo in mid-week, or a Holy Mass for shut-ins: Angelic Hosts, whether simple guardian angels or majestic Seraphim there present: they will humbly prostrate and sing their praises when what is but bread is transfigured into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God! For their Lord God through Whom they were created back in the beginning has once more presented Himself to mortal man as the Bread of Life! Because for me the number of Holy Masses since October the 5th have been far fewer than the norm, my hunger and awe and longing have not diminished, but only increased. "Domine, non sum dignus". This is part of a well-known prayer, often said before receiving Holy Communion, which continues with "ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo et sanabitur anima mea" ("that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.") Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo et sanabitur anima mea! Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed!
My heart often rakes off at this point of the Mass. It reminds me of the angels presence. The loveliest thing that ever happened to me at Mass with the angels is this. One day after Mass I was distracted and rushed out the door to do something right away. But as soon as I walked through the Church door my angel guardian stopped and warned me, 'Padraig, be careful !! The Eucharistic Christ is still present in your soul! He is still here!' I turned and looked and true enough Christ still lingered. It taught be to be careful of this period after communion. You just never know about the Eucharistic guest. https://holycelticchurch.weebly.com/journal---in-hoc-signo-vinces/angels-at-mass-by-fr-giovanni-pede Behind the left side of the Archbishop, thousands of Angels appeared in a diagonal line, small angels, big angels, angels with immense wings, angels with small wings, angels without wings. As the previous ones, all were dressed with tunics like the white robes of the priests or altar boys. Everyone knelt with their hands united in prayer, and bowed their heads in reverence. Beautiful music was heard as if there were many choirs with different voices, all singing in unison together with the people: Holy, Holy, Holy…
We had talked about this at the Mother's Group I attended way back in the 90's, that Christ is present for about 15 minutes after receiving Communion. Awesome! I have never forgotten this. Very good to keep in mind!
When we get to heaven every Eucharist we have ever received will be a huge, glittering jewel on our heavenly crown. Imagine then if, down on Earth we have been daily communicants!! It always sticks in my mind that Padre Pio in San Giovanni in his prayer group, he refused to accept anyone who was not a daily communicant. It seems he could not take such people as being serious on the Spiritual path.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12 Revelation 2:10 “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” – Revelation 2:10
Yes, it can be disappointing that upon reception at Holy Mass on Sundays, especially when helping to distribute Holy Communion, my focused thanks is delayed until Holy Mass is over and most of those present have departed.
I think after we die and look back on our lives he one thing we may be happiest is that we went to Mass and received the Eucharist. They will be like great stars shinning in our life reviews. A wonderful great counterpoint to the darkness of our sins. The crown we carry in heaven will be ourselves as we really are. People in heaven whom we regard in heaven we will see as they really are , their inner spiritual being. This is their crown. Just as our own crown will be ourselves as we really are. We see something of this on Earth at times. For instance at daily mass when we look at the good people there. We can in a real sense see them partly as they really are. Truly good people and so in a sense we see their crowns. When I was in the monastery years ago I was fascinated by a woman in her 30's who used to visit . Because she was a dietician she had access to the inside of the monastery so I had a good chance of seeing her walking past a few times. I did not know her name or who she was or what she was doing there. But I guessed one of the priests was a confessor. Anyway I knew at once this lady was a saint although I had never even talked to her. She wore the crown. But anyway I wondered if it was my imagination so I asked her confessor if the woman was a saint. 'Yes', he replied shortly. But it was clear he considered this private and was not going to get into it. Actually I got to meet and talk to the lady later and it was not what you might expect. When she looked at me it was as if she could see through me. Very direct as though she knew all about me although she had never met me. I think to some extent or other we do the same. We see people to some extent who or what people really are. Especially is they are really, really holy or evil. The same thing for hell. It will be one of the greatest tortures of the damned that they see others as they really are and others see them too. An ugly and terrible sight.
One thing about the mass that we never think much about but that is true. We know that Our Lady, the angels and saints and the souls in purgatory are always present. What we may be not aware of is that the demons are very often present too, most especially when there is a large congregation. They do not like being there , in fact it is a total torture to them and I doubt very much if they would be there at all if they were not forced to do so. One obvious example is off Satanists who are there to steal the hosts of to cause disruption, spiritual of actual physical. Another example of poor souls who are possessed by the devil or are very evil. Another example is when the priest himself happens to be evil. My own experience of this is that from time to time I hear the demons present talking among themselves. For instance they might discuss someone attending mass and complain about them like this, 'Do you see her? Do you see how much harm she does us? Does she not understand the hurt she is doing to our Kingdom?' Then another might reply, 'Yes. Why does no one stop her? How does she get away with it?' Then they rant on and on. At times I find these comments very funny, if is as though they turn things all upside down. But the demons are especially present when a bad priest is saying mass.
People may be disturbed as this role of the demons but really the demons are always present in out daily lives. The only people they usually don't disturb are the folk who are well on the road to hell anyway. Why bother people who are heading into the flames anyway? But the road of prayer is the road into the desert and like Jesus we will always encounter the demons who dwell there.
In listening to Orthodox St. Paisios he often talks about how the devil constantly attacks with dark thoughts.
The devil constantly attacks the soul that prays. The only difference is some people can see this clearly and others can't. The desert makes this clear. We need time to go into the desert. I was watching a video about a grandmother from Australia. She had raised a large family and had numerous grandchildren. They asked her what she would like as a present for her 80th birthday and she said that she would like to go a Carthusian Monastery in her native France to do a retreat. So they made it happen. It seemed so wonderful that had had this longing her whole busy life and then had it fulfilled.
