Unfortunately I rarely take stock of the fact that I am a member of only a part of our church, the church militant, the smallest, weakest, struggling , indeed sinful part of our church. I need to consider the Church Triumphant, the largest and greatest part of the church, the multitudes of choirs of angels and saints gone before us. When those of the church militant sin we sin alone. However when we worship we worship together both church militant and triumphant. When Jesus once more sacrifices Himself for us on the altar during Holy Mass all the church triumphant are at the foot of His cross on Calvary.This is why the evil one, despite his many victories, will never prevail. He and his followers both human and supernatural cannot prevail due to the force of numbers of the church militant and triumphant combined in prayer and worship
A timely reminder, Aiden. Thank you. Sorry to say that I have a little quibble, perhaps because I'm reading something you didn't mean to say. Jesus doesn't sacrifice Himself again at Mass. His sacrifice at Calvary was once for all. We re-present that eternal offering at Holy Mass but the sacrifice itself is not repeated nor can it be repeated. I know you didn't mean that we re-crucify Jesus at every Mass but that's an accusation some Protestants make against the Mass, so it's best to make sure there can be no misunderstanding.
Dolours, we don't sacrifice Christ, Our Lord sacrifices Himself at Holy Mass. This bloodless sacrifice is what we refer to when we mention The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, so I did mean what I said in previous post
What is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? MISSION LAB JANUARY 12, 2018 The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not only a ritual which reminds us of the sacrifice of Calvary, but through the ministry of ordained priests, Christ continues, until the end of time, His sacrifice of the Cross in an unbloody manner. The Holy Mass is the sacrifice by which the Church not only remembers Jesus Christ, but really brings Him, His saving Death, and His Resurrection into the present, so that His followers might become part of it. The Church can do this because Jesus is united to His Church in the Holy Spirit. When the Catholic Church celebrates the Eucharist, Jesus is truly there, and it is He Who does once more what He did at the Last Supper. At the Last Supper, our Lord instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of His Body and Blood, to continue for all time by His sacrifice of the Cross until He would come again. In the Mass, Jesus gave His Church a remembrance of His Death and Resurrection, which is a true sacrifice. In the name of the whole Church, the priest offers the Sacrifice of Jesus in an unbloody and sacramental manner in the Holy Eucharist. The priest, acting in the Person of Christ, brings about the Eucharistic Sacrifice and offers it to the Father in the name of all the people. The Mass is a prayer to the Father, in which we give Him thanks and praise for the merciful redemption He has offered us in His Son, Jesus Christ. We also ask forgiveness for our sins and beg the Father’s blessing upon ourselves and our fellowman. The Mass is a sacrifice because it makes present our Lord’s own offering of Himself to His Father, on the Cross. When we participate in the Mass, in memory of Him, we enter into that offering and become a part of it. The Mass also makes present to us Jesus’ Resurrection because His sacrifice establishes a bond of friendship and love between the Father and His children. Just as we share in Jesus’ Death at Mass, so we also share in the new life of the Spirit which was bestowed upon Jesus in His Resurrection. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is very important because it brings together all of the gifts which the Father has given us in Jesus Christ. It brings into our lives the very presence of our Lord Jesus, His sacrifice on the Cross, and the new life of the Holy Spirit which He opened to us by His Resurrection.
I've heard that accusation more than once from protestants. Holy Mass is the eternal Holy Sacrifice made present in time and space. As you say the representation--or rather Christ through the ordained priest permits us to enter in to the eternal sacrifice that won our salvation. At least that is how I have understood it.
Now, more than ever, when I attend Mass and see the priest facing the congregation instead of the Tabernacle and Christ crucified I feel that he is facing the wrong way— that he should be offering the Holy Sacrifice towards the Lord and that we should be BEHIND the priest, giving God our praise and glory as a congregation, with the priest our Shepard leading the way. I was very young when it used to be that way. But I never really realized until lately that we have been doing it all wrong since the 1960s.
Vat2 took away the notion of sacrifice at an alter replacing it with a meal around a table thereby making the spectacle less abhorrent to Protestants. The priest is now more similar to to an mc at a banquet than a priest offering a sacrifice.
The Litany of the saints, is a long prayer but maybe we could offer it on the first of every month to ask for protection in these times. Litany of the Saints Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Holy Virgin of Virgins, pray for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. St. John the Baptist, pray for us. All you Holy Patriarchs and Prophets, pray for us. St. Michael, pray for us. St. Gabriel, pray for us. St. Raphael, pray for us. All you Holy Angels and Archangels pray for us. All you Holy choirs of Angels, pray for us. St. Peter, pray for us. St. Paul, pray for us. St. Andrew, pray for us. St. James, pray for us. St. John, pray for us. St. Thomas, pray for us. St. James, pray for us. St. Philip, pray for us. St. Bartholomew, pray for us. St. Matthew, pray for us. St. Simon, pray for us. St. Jude, pray for us. St. Matthias, pray for us. St. Barnabas, pray for us. St. Luke, pray for us. St. Mark, pray for us. All you Holy Apostles and Evangelists, pray for us. All you Holy Disciples of the Lord, pray for us. St Francisco and St Jacinta, pray for us St Carlo Acutis, pray for us. St Maria Goretti, pray for us All you Holy Innocents, pray for us. St. Stephen, pray for us. St. Lawrence, pray for us. St. Vincent, pray for us. St. Fabian and Sebastian, pray for us. St. John and Paul, pray for us. St Maximillian Kolby, pray for us St Edith Stein, pray for us St. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us. All you Holy Martyrs, pray for us. St. Sylvester, pray for us. St. Gregory, pray for us. St. Ambrose, pray for us. St Polycarp, pray for us. St. Augustine, pray for us. St Thomas Aquinas, pray for us. St. Jerome, pray for us. St. Martin, pray for us. St. Nicholas, pray for us St. Pope John Paul II, pray for us. St Pope Pius X, pray for us. St Patrick, pray for us. All you Holy Popes, Bishops and Confessors, pray for us. All you Holy Doctors, pray for us. St. Anthony, pray for us. St. Benedict, pray for us. St. Bernard, pray for us. St. Dominic, pray for us. St. Francis, pray for us. St Padre Pio, pray for us. St John Vianney, pray for us. St Louie Mary DeMontford, pray for us, St John Bosco, pray for us All you Holy Priests and Levites, pray for us. All you Holy Monks and Hermits, pray for us. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us. St. Agatha, pray for us. St. Lucy, pray for us. St. Agnes, pray for us. St. Cecilia, pray for us. St. Anastasia, pray for us. St. Rose, pray for us. St Rita, pray for us. St. Clare, pray for us. St Faustina, pray for us. St Catherine of Siena, pray for us, St Catherine Laboure, pray for us. St Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for us. St Therese of Avila, pray for us. St Mother Therese of Calcutta, pray for us. St Mother Mary McKillop, pray for us. All you Holy Virgins and Widows, pray for us. All you Holy Saints of God, pray for us. Lord, be merciful, Lord, save your people. From all evil, Lord, save your people. From all sin, Lord, save your people. From your wrath, Lord, save your people. From a sudden and unprovided death, Lord, save your people. From the snares of the devil, Lord, save your people. From anger, hatred and all ill-will, Lord, save your people. From the spirit of uncleanness, Lord, save your people. From lightning and tempest, Lord, save your people. From the scourge of earthquake, Lord, save your people. From plague, famine and war, Lord, save your people. From everlasting death, Lord, save your people. By the mystery of your Holy Incarnation, Lord, save your people. By Your Coming, Lord, save your people. By Your Birth, Lord, save your people. By Your Baptism and Holy Fasting, Lord, save your people. By Your Cross and Passion, Lord, save your people. By Your Death and Burial, Lord, save your people. By Your Holy Resurrection, Lord, save your people. By Your wonderful Ascension, Lord, save your people. By the coming of the Holy Spirit, Lord, save your people. On the Day of Judgment, Lord, save your people. Be merciful to us sinners, Lord, hear our prayer. That you will spare us, Lord, hear our prayer. That you will pardon us, Lord, hear our prayer. That it may please you to bring us to true penance, Lord, hear our prayer. Guide and protect your holy Church, Lord, hear our prayer. Preserve in holy Thy religion the Pope, and all those in holy Orders, Lord, hear our prayer. Humble the enemies of holy Church, Lord, hear our prayer. Give peace and unity to the whole Christian people, Lord, hear our prayer. Bring back to the unity of the Church all those who are straying, and bring all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel, Lord, hear our prayer. Strengthen and preserve us in your holy service, Lord, hear our prayer. Raise our minds to desire the things of heaven, Lord, hear our prayer. Reward all our benefactors with eternal blessings, Lord, hear our prayer. Deliver our souls from eternal damnation, and the souls of our brethren, relatives, and benefactors, Lord, hear our prayer. Give and preserve the fruits of the earth, Lord, hear our prayer. Grant eternal rest to all the faithful departed, Lord, hear our prayer. That it may please You to hear and heed us, Jesus, Son of the Living God, Lord, hear our prayer. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord! Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord! Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us Lord Jesus, hear our prayer Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. Lord, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us.
Thank you Josephite I love the litany of saints, it is especially beautiful when sung. We do need to call on these great saints for protection.
