St. Pius X began the reform of the Roman Liturgy, that is the breviary and Missal, by simplifying the rubrics of both somewhat and by restoring the Sunday Masses and Masses of Lent.
One surprised writer of the time, declared that Sundays suddenly turned green, that is in colour, when the Sunday Masses were restored to positions of importance. Over the centuries feasts of the saints had come to supersede the Sunday Masses, and the theme of seasons became nebulous in that many feasts had little to do with the season. On weekdays feasts of lesser saints were said in place of the ancient Lenten Masses, and the season of Lent, with its mournful color, violet, had become confused.
St. Pius X is known as the Pope of the Eucharist in that he encouraged the daily reception of Holy Communion and lowered the age of First Communion to the age of reason, which was held to be about 7 years old, wherein the child was able to discern the difference between ordinary bread and Holy Communion.
It is sad to contemplate that the reforms begun by the saintly pope, which were continued by his successors and culminated in the simplified rubrics of the Mass and Breviary of 1960, have been largely put aside by certain clergy, and questionable practices in music and liturgy are prevalent. It is one thing to make God's Home as beautiful as possible and the liturgy as noble as humanly possible. It is quite another to go to extremes in theatricals and secular music. St. Pius X, whose motto was "To Restore All Things in Christ," should be a model for Catholics. He was canonised in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. A saintly Augustinian priest, present that day, said the crowds not only filled St. Peter's in Rome but thousands of persons were present in the square as well.
All things can be restored in the Church only through fasting, prayer and silence by both clergy and laymen - the Traditional Mass certainly brings about solemn silence in the prayers and actions of the liturgy that continues to give glory to God today as it has in centuries gone by.
Our Lord will in time restore the Church to health through prayer and sacrifice rendered by his people. He will not see the Church falter, He will cleanse and nurture His Immaculate Bride!
Perhaps we should ask (well, there is no perhaps about it really) the intercession of St. Pius X to shorten the time of the restoration.