Did you know the Novus Ordo uses a phrase that Scripture associates with idolatry?

Did you know the Novus Ordo uses a phrase that Scripture associates with idolatry?
Biblical references to ‘the work of human hands’ link it to idolatry, so should it be featured in the Mass?

(LifeSiteNews) — I was doing lectio divina on Sunday morning and was contemplating on the first reading from Mass last Friday when this struck me. Here is what I read:

Return, O Israel, to the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen down by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and return to the Lord, and say to him: Take away all iniquity, and receive the good: and we will render the calves of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods.

“Render the calves of our lips,” which made me think of “the sacrifice” as our Lenten retreat master David Torkington reminds, the sacrifice of prayer – of time to pray actually being the acceptable sacrifice to the Lord.

But beyond that, I read these words, “neither will we say any more: The works of our hands are our gods.” I had in my heart the recent criticism of the Novus Ordo from Bishop Strickland and this line in the Bible is the very line in the offertory in the Novus Ordo that has always made me cringe.

In the Traditional Latin Mass (sometimes known as the “Extraordinary Form”), the Offertory for the bread reads:

Receive, O Holy Father, this immaculate host, which I, Thine unworthy servant, offer unto Thee…

There is no reference to human labor or “the work of our hands.”

In contrast, the Novus Ordo (sometimes known as the “Ordinary Form”) offertory for the bread says:

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.

I looked for other references in Scripture for “the work of human hands” and here is what I found:

Psalm 115:4 (RSVCE)

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.”

Psalm 135:15

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.”

Deuteronomy 4:28

“And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.”

2 Kings 19:18 / Isaiah 37:19

“… they have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone.”

In biblical usage, “the work of human hands” is associated with vain, man-made religion, especially idolatry – not something holy or sanctified.

In Hosea, renouncing the work of human hands is the sign of conversion – of returning to God. So why insert a phrase into the heart of the liturgy that Scripture overwhelmingly connects with false worship?

Perhaps it’s time to reconsider what we place on our altars – and in our prayers. A reform of the liturgy still needs to take place, I think.

I wonder if this is one of the reasons for Cardinal Ratzinger’s criticism of the Novus Ordo:

In the place of liturgy as the fruit of development came fabricated liturgy. We abandoned the organic, living process of growth and development over the centuries and replaced it – as in a manufacturing process – with a fabrication, a banal on-the-spot product.



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I hadn't thought much about this before. What are all YOUR thoughts on this please?

 

Troubling.

 

The phrase "work of human hands" always seemed odd, but that's what was said so ~ ok. After reading this, I'm reminded of the words of a hymn that drives me insane ~ "let us build the city of God". I couldn't understand that, since God had a place waiting for us: "In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. 14:3 And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself: that where I am, you also may be."

"Work of human hands" has the same ring to it now as that horrid hymn. Hopefully this won't become a distraction......

 

But the Offertory of the Novus Ordo clarifies that we have received the bread we offer through the goodness of God. I’m not going to overthink this.

 

It's messed up, especially given everything we know that happened after Vatican II. Scholars likely knew what was going on too, there is no way this was an accident. I hope they have a good reason for it.

 

Oh dear, maybe I shouldn't have brought it to everyone's attention! There are enough distractions already.

 

As HH said above, not going to overthink it. The Mass is valid and that's all that matters

 

I do not see any connection to idolatry in this at all. I see it as human beings cooperating with God who takes their meager labor and gifts to transform them. The little boy who brought 2 fish and 5 loaves i think is a prime example. Someone had to catch the fish and make the loaves- work of human hands and Jesus took these meager offerings and mulitiplied them. I see the gifts of bread and wine being brought to altar in faith and expectation that through the sacrfice of Jesus they become his body and blood. So many saints wrote about the intrinsic value of human labor.

JP II’s encyclical, On Human Work, points out that our labor united to God’s creation and Christs suffering, work allows us to participate more in reflecting God’s image. To me this is opposite of idolatry.

 

God created the humans and the wheat...our hands made the bread...but there are more words that matter..

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". Blessed be God forever...


Just a way for certain people to invalidate our consecration... I have no worries..

 

Me neither, thank for posting this response Agnes.

 

I definitely see the comparison with the boy with the fish and loaves... dirt in the blind man's eyes, washed with water so he could see. Thanks

 

Yes!

 

I can see where one is tempted to draw this conclusion, but I'm furious that this author presumes to imply that all Scriptural references to the "work of human hands" pertain to idolatry! Consider the following:

Deuteronomy 16:15 For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

Deuteronomy 24:19 When you reap your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow; that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

There are others, but what is essential to see is that the above two verses reference to agriculture, not to the making of idols! And wasn't Israel obligated by God to offer the fruits of their harvest to the Lord?

Proverbs:3:9: Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first-fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

So in the Novus Ordo Liturgy we bring the fruits of our harvest of wheat and grapes, in the form of bread and wine, before our God as Jesus did at the Last Supper.

Enough of this constant denigration of the Novus Ordo! It may not be as sublime as the TLM, but it is valid and gifts us with the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord!

Geralyn asks, "When I cook supper and we thank God for the work of my hands, is that idolatry?"

 

I’m furious along with you. Thank you for this insightful post.

 

I'm not upset with anyone on the Forum, only with the author of the article and LifesiteNews which capitulated to publish it.

Too much tunnel vision.

 

This is a great response, thank you, and I would like to know what scripture verses they actually based the following on in Vatican II. I am sure it is documented.

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.

I am sure you did post some of them but I would like something concrete from Vatican II. I am sure someone will post it soon as this is controversial. If it was changed to "our hands" instead of "human hands" there would likely not be a conversation happening. I still think it bizarre to use "human hands" given how it is used in scripture in reference to idols several times and then used for the consecration. Even more so since today the vast majority of Catholics no longer believe in transubstantiation. I wonder if there is a translation issue as well.

 

When I was at Mass this evening, it occurred to me that those hands, the human hands of the priest, were consecrated to God so he could offer the Mass for his flock. Without those consecrated "human hands", there would be no Mass regardless of whether TLM or Novus Ordo.

You're so right about "too much tunnel vision" ~

 

Exactly...the human hands of the Priest

 

Ditto