Today marked 15 years since Pope Benedict XVI issued his landmark motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. That document stated that 1) the ancient mass had not been abrogated and 2) no priest of the Roman Rite needed any special permission to use the old missal.
I remember when this document was released. It was one week before my wedding day. I did not fully grasp its significance at the time.
Today, on this anniversary, I went to Latin Mass as I have almost every day for the past four years.
Thank you, Holy Father!
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I urge you to pray earnestly. Ask the Blessed Mother to help you discern. She will dispense Wisdom and Counsel from her Son. Use your intellect. God gave you a rational mind for just this purpose. Reflect. sit in silence before the Blessed Sacrament and ask Him to enlighten you.
He has but one Vicar on the earth. Who is that man?
Is it the one who lives in the “enclosure of Peter”, giving his own Apostolic Blessing, wearing the trappings of the Petrine office? Is it one who has rejected the Catholic faith and teaches others so to do?
Is it the man who affirmed the right of Roman priests to say the Roman mass or is it the one who name calls and gets nasty and promotes every manner of abuse?
To that point, I came across a picture from the last time I was in Southern California. Take a look and read carefully the original caption from that day – July 7, 2019.
I spoke too soon. THIS is the ultimate Boomer [Novus Ordo] Parish. I’m not sure we went to mass or stumbled into a talent show at an assisted living facility. Too many liturgical abuses to name. The priest kept referring to Jesus as our “big brother”. He announced they’d be hosting Theology on Tap for those between 18-35. No one there matched that description. But all is not lost. The felt banners seem to be serving some function. In this case I think they’re lining up Jesus for final approach to LAX.
You know the answer to the question above. Coincidentally, the church in that picture and the mass I attended therein were among the reasons I decided I was done with NO. At the time I was still hoping mutual enrichment would magically happen.
Pray.
Fast.
God save Thy people.
Holy Mother of God, shield us with thy mantle.
St. Michael, call down the legions of angels at thy command to protect us and Pope Benedict XVI, the one and only Vicar of Christ since 2005 whether he likes it or not.
I am so intrigued by the number of comments surrounding my posts about how I believe men should dress. I’d like to address some of them here.
A gentleman named Pavel commented on my last post. He stated that, “If you have no money, it is hard to dress right.” well, Pavel, that’s only half true. Let me explain.
As a home-schooled young man many years ago, I made many trips to the library. I’m talking about the actual library. This was in the early 1990’s, just prior to the internet’s ubiquitousness as we know it today. We had to do this thing called research. It involved card catalogs and microfiche and interacting with people behind desks. During one of my journeys downtown to the main branch (complete with actual stacks) I ended up taking out a book on etiquette. It was, in fact, the book on etiquette – Emily Post’s Etiquette.
I found it fascinating. Look, I was homeschooled. The freedom I was given over my own didache meant I could follow all kinds of interests. I saw the title on the shelf while looking for something else and was intrigued. So I checked it out.
The first lines of the book stood out to me not only because they made so much sense as to be self-evident, but also because they seemed contrary to everything I’d ever heard about the subject. I will paraphrase.
“Etiquette is nothing more than making the people around you as comfortable as possible within the bounds of good taste.”
That’s a great rule to live by. Miss Post herself was spelling out the formula right off the bat. It didn’t matter if you knew whether or not to extend a hand to a lady who hadn’t introduced herself first or whether you should use the tiny fork first. If you used your common sense and your cogitative powers and if your intention was to practice fraternal Charity (setting others at ease in a tense social setting), then you’ve already won. I have used that advice in life so many times it isn’t funny.
And good dress is like an extension of good manners.
Think about it.
1) Common Sense: dress appropriately for your state in life and the task at hand. I’ve talked a lot about wearing a jacket to daily mass. I would not wear that same jacket while digging a trench. Duh.
2) Cogitative Powers: Think before you dress. God gave you the ability to reason and to discern. Who are you? Where are you going? With whom will you interact? Pull it all together and make your decision. Is the thing I would like to wear outside the bounds of my budget? Then be prudent.
3) Fraternal Charity: This goes both ways. Dress in a way to put others at ease but also remember that others should never be offended when you’ve done your best. I’ve seen college students (proverbially poor) show up to events looking phenomenal because they wore the best of what they have and they held their heads high with dignity. I’ve also seen millionaires (in fact, a well known Catholic TV personality) show up to Sunday mass week after week dressed to golf – because that’s where he was going immediately after mass. The thing is, I knew he owned suits far nicer than mine. It bothered me.
Pavel, if you are short on cash at the moment, do not fret. Cleanliness and being your best do not cost a dime. I remember reading stories of the saints when I was a boy. I was amazed at how, for instance, the father of St. Catherine Laboure, despite laboring in the fields, kept one nice set of clothes to wear on Sunday. It wasn’t “fancy” but it was his best. Seriously, Pavel, email me and I’ll help you figure it out. More than anything, it’s an attitude.
So to drive home the point about the appropriateness of one’s attire… While traveling across the southern tip of Florida today we stopped in the Everglades and took a tour on a fan boat. Our pilot stopped within a few feet of a gator who hissed at me. I thought I would die. But for that excursion, I was in shorts, a tee shirt, and a ball cap. I was in a literal swamp.
I decided to name him Bergogli-gator. It just seemed like the thing to do.
Hours later, I found myself at St. Agnes church in Naples, FL. This is the location where Corpus Christi Latin Mass Parish has a daily Mass. I pulled into a gas station, went inside, and, you guessed it, changed into a shirt and trousers with a jacket. I’ve got one jacket with me this week as I travel light but it works for its purpose.
Also, the Mass was pretty well-attended. This makes me happy to see packed Latin Masses. I will be there every day this week. So for a fun experiment, if you also worship at this parish and you see a stranger in a light blue sports coat, don’t be afraid to approach him after mass and say hello. If, however, you think his writing is garbage, then approach the older lady in the veil seated nearby and tell her. That man’s mother-in-law will not mind at all. She just loves making new friends.
Today is the First Class Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord. Praised be God! This feast commemorates the awe-inspiring shedding of the Blood of Jesus Christ – from His Circumcision to His Agony in the Garden to His Scourging and Crowning with Thorns to His Crucifixion. In particular I like to meditate on the Lancing His lifeless Body received at the hands of a Roman soldier. Each and every Drop was shed for you and for me. In fact, the first Drop spilled from His circumcision would have been enough to save the entire world but He continued on to show the depths of His love for us. Simply beautiful.
Crucifix, Shrine of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Dubina, TX
This, of course, is not at all celebrated in Novie land. There I go again. Forgive what sounds like a slur. In the current General Roman Calendar – the one that senselessly saw the feasts of dozens of saints removed as merely legend and fable and others like St. Benedict moved from March to July – today is the Memorial of Fr. Serra. Don’t get me wrong. Junipero Serra was a great man. I’ve visited his missions in California. That being said, the whole thing points to a bigger issue.
I was chatting with some fellow parishioners this morning and, as always seems to be the case in a trad parish, the conversation turned its way to, “Can we eat meat today?” Trying to reason the whole thing out in my mind yet not taking a side, I joined in with, “Well in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, solemnities are not days of fasting when they fall on a Friday.” I then asked out of genuine curiosity whether a first class feast is equivalent to a solemnity. There does not appear to be a clear answer. Remember that trad parishes are kind of the bastard orphan-child afterthought of Vatican II and now it seems Bergoglio would like to see them and their members returned to the steps of the foundlings home.
I consulted with a friend who gave it his best shot and told me that in the new calendar the Precious Blood feast was abolished, melded into Corpus Christi which is technically called (now) Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and BLOOD of the Lord. OK, so why was that done? Who the hell knows. Innovation or something. No one can explain it. But my friend further explained that since this feast doesn’t really exist (in the contemporary calendar) and since trads don’t use the language of “solemnity”, one could celebrate with a steak dinner but might want to pray an extra rosary. I appreciated his effort.
Or, as one of the women in my conversation said while throwing her hands up, “I guess it all depends on how hard you want to trad.”
Two forms and one rite, right? Actually, don’t we have at least three forms in that one rite what with the Anglican Ordinariate’s liturgy and all? I mean, they’re still Roman. But wait… ever since TraditionesCustodes, they say that the Missal of 1970 is the sole expression of the Roman Rite or possibly its two later revisions.
It has been theorized by not a few people that Pope Benedict in Summorum Pontificum used the language of “ordinary” and “extraordinary” forms so as to avoid priests of the Roman Rite needing additional faculties – faculties that might never be granted them by a vengeful bishop. Remember also that Benedict expressed hope that the two “forms” would provide “mutual enrichment” for one another. So how has that been working out? A single chanted Kyrie in a Novus Ordo mass during Lent?
Yet here we are. Figuring out a simple calendar of saints is more confusing than the menu at Cheesecake Factory and the Ordo about twice as long.
Do we really have one Roman Rite?
You know the answer.
And for that matter, doesn’t the confusion caused in the violent upheaval of the public worship of the church overnight signal that something is awry?
Oh I get it! We were all supposed to just follow blindly and never question anything! Unfortunately some things can’t be unseen nor unlearned. I mean think about it. We are literally being told by a man not canonically elected to anything that the venerable worship of the Church is kaput and we’re being naughty for clinging to things like a feast day to celebrate our redemption? I’ll never forget as a child learning that my older brother had taken the name of a saint – Christopher – for confirmation only to find out he “wasn’t a saint anymore” from one of his teachers. My father dusted off the bullshit flag and ran that one up the pole real fast. My brother lives happily under the patronage of the patron of travelers to this day.
Think about it.
Round-up
I’m going to throw a little bomb here and then walk away. But it seems many women in trad communities are vehemently opposed to their infant sons being circumcised. That may be some overlap between the trad circle and the granola circle honestly. It’s an unusual Venn diagram. Just an observation.
Also, a reader emailed me with some excellent information on men wearing hats! Specifically , he listed some shops and gave general ideas to help get you started. Remember, gentlemen, the protocol for a gentleman (never a “guy” or *shudder* a “lad”) is to cover one’s head when outdoors. Remove the cover when indoors except in crowded lobbies and elevators. And ALWAYS remove the hat when the Holy Name of Jesus is mentioned in your presence. If that Name is used in blasphemy, you should also 1) correct the offender and 2) say a quick prayer of reparation. “My Jesus, Mercy!” works just fine. I will post more on the hat advice later.
Finally, my Sacred Heart “Adveniat Regnum Tuum” flag arrived! I am so excited to display this that I’ll be erecting a 20’ flagpole out front for the occasion. Email me for instructions on how to order one. No, I am not the seller.
Here’s to a wonderful weekend and I hope you all had a blessed Feast of the Precious Blood!
I received the following email from a reader this morning.
Hi, Harvey. Do you have any suggestions for where men could shop for clothes in line with what you suggest? Ms. Barnhardt suggested eShakti.com for the ladies.
Here is my response.
Thanks for your question, and a good question it is! I will admit up front that I get to cheat a bit at this one. I have a relative who works for the parent company of Brooks Brothers and have been able to buy a suit there with an enormous discount. Brooks Brothers has been one of the quintessential men’s clothiers since before the time of Teddy Roosevelt. They have provided a classic American look to generations. That being said, that’s only one suit. The bottom line is that it is far easier to find decent mens clothing than it is for women. Most major department stores have suits, suit separates, jackets, ties, etc. Heck, I even found a beautiful sport coat in a thrift shop in my area. $10. I’ve worn it for years now and get compliments every time I do. Today I wore the jacket from a suit I bought in 1996. The pants long ago frayed but the navy shadow-striped jacket is still in top shape. Recycle what you can. I also inherited my dad’s tuxedo and a few of his ties and jackets. Although I think it’s necessary to spend a little bit of money on a good look, most of the time it is completely unnecessary. I think the key with men’s attire is in taking care of what you have – polishing one’s shoes, wearing a tie properly knotted and not hanging loose like a slob, etc. In other words, how you dress is a direct extension of how you live. Are you a man? Are you vain? Are you humble? If you are vain, you’ll want to draw attention to yourself and “how nice you look”. If you’re humble, you’ll want your look to be neat and clean, unobtrusive, and not to distract from you, the man. Now hats are a different story. I travel a fair bit and try to pick up a hat when I see one. I grew up outside of Manhattan (NYC) and was always able to find men’s haberdashers in the city. Again, I often fail at this but I’ve been trying hard simply to think of how men used to dress and then following that lead as best I can. The 1940’s and ’50’s were a golden age of style but even there, there’s nothing to say that men and women can’t dress modestly and attractively by carefully stepping outside those decades. But again, I will look up some resources and post something later this evening. Well here we are, aren’t we? I hesitate to post names of specific companies because I need to research every place I shop. There are places I will not shop because of their corporate policies in support of sodomy. Thank you again for writing and please offer a prayer for me. Harvey
Now Let’s Talk About Grooming
Hair: It should be short. Sorry, gents, but we’ve advanced as a society far enough now that scissors are a widely available thing as are electric clippers. In fact, there was really only one man in history Who had long hair that worked for Him. And you’re not Him. I see my barber every 3-4 weeks and get a high and tight. Again, your hair should not be a distraction nor should it be the focal point of your existence and stature.
Facial Hair: This one’s not as tricky as it sounds. I tend to say either clean shaven (all the time) or, better yet, grow it out but keep it trimmed. I remember feeling so cool when I was 13 and shaved for the first time. It was manly and I was now a man (or so I thought). Years later I was teaching CS Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters and read (and re-read many times) the following passage. It’s advice from one demon to another.
“We have now for many centuries triumphed over nature to the extent of making certain secondary characteristics of the male (such as the beard) disagreeable to nearly all the females – and there is more in that than you might suppose.”
Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, Letter XX
I’ve given this one some thought and I’ve worn a beard for the past five years. I recognize not all men can grow a beard. I believe that has to do with the overall feminization of the West – soy products and overall lower levels of testosterone. OK 1) Eat meat. That being said, I say, if you can do it, do it.
Lots of white dress shirts and demure but fashionable ties.
Posture: Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Suck in your gut. Chest out. Make yourself big.
Chivalry: Learn it. Live it. Grab that door for every lady (and really for any person). Give of yourself. Another thing I learned from Dad was in watching how until the last time he drove a car, he always held the car door for my mom. I try to do that for my wife. She agreed to take on your life, your name, and your children. Treat her like it.
Accessories: First, don’t ever use that word. I’m just using it here for reference. Shoes should be polished. They should match your belt which should match your eyes which should be hazel. I’m only kidding about that last part but you get it.
Other than that, there’s not much to it. Ann Barnhardt mentioned a preference for not going wild with colors and not giving into the trend of “skinny” tailoring. First that brings up an important point. If you are able to and need to, get your more important clothing tailored. Many dry cleaners have a tailor on site. It’s a one-time thing (unless your weight fluctuates wildly) and worth the relatively minor cost. WEAR YOUR PANTS AT YOUR WAIST – Not below, Not above. And yes, I agree. I wouldn’t go the skinny route. I know some will push back and say “but I look good in that!” If you do, that probably means you are skinny. Don’t be afraid to put some meat on your bones. Remember we men are distinguished by greater muscle mass. Ask any swimmer who’s competed against Will Thomas. And as far as bright colors, the word I would use is gauche or flamboyant. I own exactly one pink tie. I bought it for my daughter’s baptism which occurred on Gaudete Sunday. Other than that, a tiny splash of color is OK, as Ann says, in ties, pocket squares, etc. Don’t make a habit of it.
And for heaven’s sake, don’t wear jewelry. It should go without saying that earrings are for pirates and queers. Tough love moment? Sorry. Your wedding ring, gentlemen, is a sacramental, not jewelry. Treat it accordingly. Your scapular (and you should be wearing one) stays beneath your shirt. It is for your benefit. Trust me, everyone else in that Trad parish has one on and they assume you do as well.
Wow, that was longer than I was expecting. Perhaps this becomes a regular feature? Likely not.
My thoughts at the end of this mid-week night are all over the map, friends. Bear with me. I promise you’ll enjoy the round-up (even if there isn’t any actual DDT).
Nancy and Frankie
Nancy took Communion at the Vatican. Exactly. She “took” Communion in the same way a thief takes your jewels. Her bishop ordered her not to present herself for Communion. She said she didn’t care. She jetted off to Rome on our dime despite her net worth being in the way-up-there-millions. She met with Antipope Bergoglio. He apparently blessed her which has as much worth as my own blessing but less so. She then “got in the line” and “took Communion”. She is a foul, festering, and atrocious bitch. There is no other word. You were thinking the same thing. We’re moving on.
Even the Saint of the Impossible is rolling her eyes at these headlines…“The Gift of the Rose” stained glass from the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia
New Apostolic Letter, Same Old Garbage
Antipope Bergoglio issued some kind of apostolic letter today. I think it was called Desilu Studios or something like that. Trying to sift through the nonsense. It’s like trying to read through the end paper of a group project foisted upon a cohort of graduate students in a program in Education. Yes, friends, yours truly had to slog through that too thanks to the ridiculous MS in Educational Administration I had to get along the way. Here’s a hint. It’s like reading an 8th grade book report from the kids who didn’t read the book. I’ll summarize it so far. If you are Catholic, as in you believe everything handed down to you from the apostles and worship Our Lord in the Mass of Angels and Saints, then apparently you’ve got some problems. They may be psychological. They may be physical. We really don’t know. But you had better get on board soon. They’re really tired of having to play “good cop/bad cop” over there at Casa Sancta Marta. If you didn’t flip for them a year ago with Traditiones Custodes, maybe the kinder, gentler version will help you conform.
Boys Will be Trad Men
I wandered into my family room this afternoon to something I thought I’d never see. My teenage son and two of his friends were on the couch watching a YouTube video called “Novus Ordo Cringe Compilation vol. 3” I seriously love these young men. There is hope that we’re raising tomorrow’s men right.
Blessed feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to one and all!
I was awakened this morning to the joyous news that Roe and Casey have fallen.
Let that sink in.
We’ve Fought Side by Side for Many Years
I suspect you and I have been in the same trenches on this one for a long time. Remember how we were armed with prayers and tears?
Perhaps you and I crossed paths in the many, many years of bitter cold January days when we marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to peacefully ask our government for a redress of this grave evil. There were millions of us during those days. We’d get to the top of Capitol Hill and turn around to see the throngs streaming up behind us like ants and take comfort that we weren’t alone in an insane world.
Perhaps we crossed paths in the Spirit of Truth as we knelt before the Lord in Adoration and at the Holy Sacrifice begging Him to hear our voices since the tiny victims were denied speech.
Altar in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St Lucy’s Catholic Church, Newark, NJ
Perhaps we crossed paths simply, humbly, and marvelously on our knees at night as we said our prayers and thought of our own kids – how they came into the world in love and how we would die for them out of love – and then thought of those snuffed out because the evil one demands child sacrifice and men choose to turn from love and the opposite of love is indifference.
Perhaps we crossed paths teaching the faith and trying – sometimes with facility and often against great resistance – to convince a few teenagers in a high school theology class that a human child in the womb is 1) human and 2) can’t be anything other than human.
Maybe we said the same things in our prayers. “Jesus, Mary, I love you! Save souls and unborn babies!”
Our politicians didn’t help, except to say they were on our side when they needed our votes. One man promised us justices who would overturn Roe. He gave us those justices. Despite how he pushed a deadly vaccine (and continues to do so), I give thanks for his actions here and pray for him.
Our bishops didn’t help much. In truth, some were more vocal than others; but we totally could have ended this decades ago if they had stood up.
“God is sooooooo good.”
Is this perfect news? Far from it. In my home state killing a baby up to birth is now codified in law. In my new home state abortion is now essentially illegal altogether.
I’ll admit this is not how I imagined this day would go down. I’m genuinely shedding tears as I write this post. So many years… Did any of us believe that evil decision would be overturned? I bet Nellie Gray believed it, and Phyllis Schlafly too. I think my late dad probably thought this day would come. My widowed mom sent me a text. “God is sooooooo good.” She concluded it with a heart emoji because she’s 85 and texts. He is sooooooo good.
Stay Confessed
I know it’s far from over. Satanist groups are planning violence. We must pray harder now and be prepared to protect and defend ourselves and our churches.
Window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Lucy’s Catholic Church, Newark, NJ
As for me? I went to confession. Then I went to mass with my daughter. Meditating on the mystery of Our Lord’s Sacred Heart is so powerful. Lord Jesus, cleanse us with the water from Thy Wounded Side and then bathe us in They Precious Blood! Friends, stay confessed. Go to mass. Pray your rosaries.
And celebrate this moment for what it’s worth. You had better believe there’s a bottle of gin on my bar to be opened tonight. It calms the shellshocked nerves. Brothers and sisters, but especially my fellow Catholic men, NEVER give up this fight.
The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is only days away – Friday June 24.
Also, believed to be just days away is the possible Supreme Court decision overturning Roe V. Wade – Friday June 24.
Overturning Roe is a good start but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that too much will change.
Are you prepared for another long, riotous summer? Are you prepared to have your home and vehicle vandalized because you displayed sympathy for the unborn? It’s already been happening and our federal overlords have ignored it. There is much evil that Satan will try to unleash. Remember, child sacrifice is his bag.
Are you prepared?
The above image is of a flag made by a woman in Maine. Her name is Deborah. I just ordered mine today.
***To order one for yourself (as though you haven’t already seen this “advertised” on Barnhardt, Fr. Z., et al., send an email to Deborah at ode2hopester@gmail.com.***
May His kingdom come! May Our Lord’s Sacred Heart pour forth His abundant love and mercy on this once great land. We have much as a nation for which to atone, starting with the blood of the unborn.
Speaking of hearts, I am always heartbroken when I think of the slaughtered innocents. My wife and I wanted lots of kids. God gave us two. And they are more precious to us than you can imagine. The happiest moments of my entire life were those when I held my newborns. Pure innocence and love and beauty! And our nation has sentenced tens of millions to death…
Pray.
Pray and worship Our Lord. I mentioned we’ve been blessed to visit Our Lord in Adoration every day and night this week. Go to mass on this first class feast and give Him your heart. He will give you His. Mine is weak. His is crowned with thorns for me. Mine is forgetful. His remembers His promise of mercy from generation to generation. Mine is sinful and proud. His is humility personified, bleeding with love for us.
His Sacred Heart desires you. Go to Him. Worship Him. Love Him.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, friend of sinners like me, have mercy on us all!
Folks, I got off all that social media nonsense a while ago. Sorry but I'm not on Twitbook, Facepalm, YouHu, WingWang or any of the others. Maybe an event will happen to make me change my mind like Peter and Paul coming down with flaming swords and commanding it be so. Until then, read the blog and if you feel a comment is in order or you feel like sharing a tip or suggestion for a topic, email me at harvey@harveymillican.com.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 