Pope Paul VI published Sacrificium laudis in 1966. It is worthy of a re-read. especually in the amidst of the current liturgical landscaping being carried out.

Read it here.

The angels sing: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will."

We see the glory of God manifest to us today in a Little Child lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. This scene fills our hearts with peace and joy. We draw hope from the scene before us.

What hearts are not happy when looking upon a new born baby? But it seems peculiar that we should find peace in looking upon this Baby, because He is born in the poorest of circumstances. He is in a stable lying in a manger. Our hearts should naturally be saddened by this image.

Who in this world likes to look upon the poor? This world strives to shut out the poor. The poor are a disgrace to any city, town or village. And those in authority do all they can to remove the poor from their sight. We try to send them away or provide someplace else for them to stay. We will do almost anything to remove them from our sight, because they are a disturbance to our worldly sense of peace and happiness. They cause sorrow because of their suffering and because it demands of us a sacrifice to come to their assistance. If we ignore them then we cannot be at peace because we are uncharitable and our conscience will continually tell us this. So we strive to hide and forget them.

This was the life that God chose to be in. He came to the poor; He came as a pauper Himself. He was despised and rejected by the world.

And yet, the angels sing. And all those who are poor in spirit sing with them. Christ our Saviour is born. He has become one of us to save us. He has become the least of us to save the lowliest of us.

The birth of this Child is the glory of God. We see the magnificence of God in doing great things from the least things. He turns all that is bad into good. The curse of poverty becomes a virtue and grace when willingly endured in imitation and for the love of Him. Hunger, thirst, nakedness, cold, heat, etc. all are transformed from physical evils into spiritual good with Him.

He has come to the lowliest place to carry all those lowly souls into the heights of Heaven. But, not all men will He lift up into Heaven. And therefore, not all have cause to be joyful or at peace. Only the few who cooperate with Him will have true joy and peace. The peace as the angels sing is "among men of good will". Those who are not of good will have nothing of this peace.

All of those who reject His teachings have rejected Him and are obviously not of good will. Those who reject or ignore His law: "What God has joined together let no man put asunder." i.e., those who are divorced and "re-married" living in adultery can have no true peace. All those who refuse union with His Church or refuse to eat His flesh in the Blessed Sacrament can have no true peace.

God is glorified but not all men will receive His peace. His peace is for those of good will, those who love Him. But who can love a poor man? Only the poor in spirit, only the humble, only those who cooperate with the grace of God, know His peace and joy.

Let us look into our hearts and see the poverty of our own souls. Let us see our helplessness and the need for His grace. As we are humbled and come to a true knowledge of ourselves then we begin to grow in the love and grace of God.

When we see our own spiritual poverty the physical poverty of the Christ Child ceases to be offensive. That which is naturally repulsive becomes supernaturally attractive.

The sinners who are of good will have cause to rejoice with the angels today. We are all sinners but we are not all of good will. We are not all filled with the love of God.

Let us dwell upon this beautiful scene of the poor Christ Child and all that He has suffered and be filled with compassion. Let us see that it is because of our sins that He suffered. Let us offer Him our love. As we grow in this love we will begin to see more and greater joy in this scene. And His mission will eventually become complete in us. And we too will sing with the angels: "Glory to God in the Highest!"

(From the Sermon Archive)

The Mass voices our expectation, in union with Mary, waiting for Jesus to come. The Offertory and Communion recall the devotion of Mary to the blessed fruit of her womb, Jesus, during the months before the first Christmas. Her preparation inspires us to pray for priests who have been called by her Christ as the "dispensers of the mysteries of God” (Epistle); and to hearken to their "voice...crying in the wilderness" of a world awaiting its God . . . " prepare ye the way" (Gospel).

Christmas will be a complete Christ-Mass if you receive Christ!
The O Antiphon today is O radix Iesse (O stock of Jesse).

THIS WEEK:
Masses Monday, Wednesday and Thursday II cl. ferias of the prior Sunday.

Tuesday 21st December: Feast of St. Thomas Apostle and Evangelist.
Tradition says St. Thomas evangelized the Medes and Parthians, but another tradition says he went on to India and was martyred at Calamine. His body was afterward transported to Edessa. The Gospel relates that St. Thomas was a doubter of Christ’s Resurrection, that Our Lord appeared to St. Thomas and asked him to place his hands into the wounds of His Hands and the wound in His Side. St. Thomas fell to his knees and said to Our Saviour, “My Lord and my God.” Pray at this Mass that our own faith be renewed during the days leading up to Christmas especially when our faith is tested to the full at the present time.

Friday 24th December: Vigil of the Nativity.
Station at Rome is St. Mary Major where the relic of the manger is located and also the Station for Midnight Mass and the III Mass of the Nativity of Our Lord. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans enumerates the titles of Our Lord. The Gospel relates Mary, to be Mother of God, accepting God’s Will.

Saturday 25th December: The Nativity of Our Lord: Holy Day of Obligation
The object of the day’s liturgy is threefold: First to adore Jesus as true God in His eternal birth as Son of the Father, for to ignore Him would be folly (Introit, Gradual, Communion). Second, to recognize Jesus as true Man in His earthly or temporal birth as Son of Mary, born in a stable where, without speaking a word, but rather by the force of example alone, He teaches humility of service to God and neighbour, instructs us in obedience to the decrees of His Father and the arrangements made by Mary and Joseph, and furthermore warns us against the softening influence of material comforts by the poverty of His manger (Gospel). Third, to realize more and more the spiritual birth of Jesus in our souls (Epistle), by recalling our birth as “reborn” members of His Mystical Body, growing with Him throughout the coming year, by rejoicing in His Joys from Christmas to Lent, by sorrowing with His Sorrows during Lent and by celebrating His Glories during the Easter and Pentecostal periods. Before the crib today, in union with Mary, contemplate this threefold Birth of Jesus.

Rome issued clarification on the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes earlier this morning. There is no good news.

The document which is supoosed to answer queries from the Bishops of the Universal Church on the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes can be read in full here.

The bombshell is that it appears Confirmations and ordinations according to pre-Vatican II books are now not permitted, as the use of the Pontificale Romanum is banned.

The original document was issued on the 16th July last and in it, the Pope placed restrictions on the celebration of Mass using the venerable Roman Missal, known variously as the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, the Tridentine Mass, and the Traditional Latin Mass.

Memorare, O piissima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia, esse derelictum. Ego tali animatus confidentia, ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, curro, ad te venio, coram te gemens peccator assisto. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba mea despicere; sed audi propitia et exaudi. Amen.

aptism was not unknown among the Judeans; they baptized the heathens who became members of the Old Testament one true Faith. But the Judeans themselves were not baptized. It was, however, a common belief that the right to baptize the Judeans was reserved to the future Messiah, and to the prophets immediately preceding Him. When St. John declared that he was neither Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet, the ambassadors thought that by baptizing he had assumed a right which did not belong to him. Therefore, they say: "Why, then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?" St. John justifies himself in these words: "I baptize with water. He that shall come after me shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and with fire." St. John's baptism was an empty sign. The baptism that Christ brought is not an empty sign but is a sacrament. That is, the Sacrament not only symbolizes but actually confers grace.
 
It is a dogma of the Church that: "After the promulgation of the Gospel, Baptism of water is necessary by a necessity of means in re or in desire." This is de fide. The Council of Trent states: "If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation, let him be anathema." The Council of Trent continues: Justification "since the promulgation of the Gospel, cannot be effected except through the laver of regeneration or its desire. . ."
 
This last phrase has been and continues to be a stumbling block for many, especially for those who adhere to the condemned "Boston Heresy" promoted by Father Feeney. These wish to deny the ability of God's grace to justify a soul through martyrdom or desire.
 
Baptism of desire differs from the Baptism of water in the same way in which spiritual differs from actual Communion. If the desire for Baptism is accompanied by perfect contrition, we have the baptism of desire which forthwith justifies the sinner, provided, of course, that the desire is a true desire for the sacrament, i.e. that it implies a firm resolve to receive the Sacrament as soon as opportunity offers.
 
Perfect contrition effects immediate justification as is apparent from the case of David, that of Zachaeus, and our Lord's own words to one of the robbers crucified with Him on Calvary; "This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise." The Prophet Ezekiel assured the Old Testament Jews in the name of Jehovah: "If the wicked do penance for all his sins, . . . he shall live, and shall not die." In the New Testament our Lord Himself says of the penitent Magdalen: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much." Since, however God has ordained Baptism as a necessary means of salvation, perfect contrition, in order to obtain forgiveness of sins, must include the desire of the Sacrament. "If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him."
 
The most striking pronouncements of the Fathers is that of St. Ambrose's sermon on the death of the Emperor Valentinian II, who had died as a catechumen. He says: "I hear you express grief because he [Valentinian] did not receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Tell me, what else is there in us except the will and petition? But he had long desired to be initiated before, he came to Italy, and expressed his intention to be baptized by me as soon as possible, and it was for this reason, more than for any other, that he hastened to me. Has he not, therefore, the grace which he desired? Has he not received that for which he asked? Surely, he received [it] because he asked [for it]."
 
St. Augustine repeatedly speaks of the power inherent in the desire for Baptism. "I do not hesitate to place the Catholic catechumen, who is burning with the love of God, before the baptized heretic . . . The centurion Cornelius, even before Baptism, was filled with the Holy Ghost, while Simon, after Baptism, was puffed up with an unclean spirit."
 
The command to receive the Baptism of water exists also for the catechumens and ceases to be binding only when there is impossibility. St. Augustine continues: "I find, that not only martyrdom for the sake of Christ may supply what was wanting of Baptism, but also faith and conversion of heart, if recourse cannot be had to the celebration of the mystery of Baptism for want of time." St. Bernard invokes the authority of SS Ambrose and Augustine in support of his teaching that a man may be saved by the Baptism of desire if death or some other insuperable obstacle prevents him from receiving the baptism of water. The Popes decided many practical cases of conscience by this rule. Thus Innocent III unhesitatingly declared that a certain deceased priest, who had never been baptized, had undoubtedly obtained forgiveness of original sin and reached Heaven, and that the sacrifice of the Mass might be offered up for the repose of his soul.

The liturgy of this week unfolds the interior and social aspects of Christ's coming. The Introit, for instance, refers to Sion, holy mount of Jerusalem, so often mentioned as the symbol of the interior life of the faithful soul. It speaks also of the soul as a docile sheep led by God. It publishes His coming "to save the nations."

After calling upon God to "stir up our (interior) hearts" in the Prayer so as to "prepare," notice how the
Epistle stresses social charity, "to receive one another as Christ also hath received you." Again, the Gospel enumerates some of the interior and social "works of Christ," which, together with His miracles, testify that He is the longexpected Divine Savior of the world. The blind of soul now see. The lame of will now walk. The lepers of sin are absolved. The poor become rich with a new Gospel.

Wednesday is the feast of the Immaculate Conception:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation and with the robe of justice He hath covered me, as a bride adorned with her jewels. "I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me." (Introit of the Mass of December 8)