Today, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter dedicates their new chapel at their Our Lady of Guadeloupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. The cermonies which are involved in dedicating a church, chapel, monastery, or oratory are among the most profound of any, and contain within them the beauty and the mystery of the Faith.
This being said, one is confronted with a question: How can the ancient mysteries be presented to the faithful who, for several years, have been without solid foundations?
In my most humble opinion, the answer lies in the words of two psalms utilized for occaisions such as this. The first is the 84th Psalm and the second is the 122nd Psalm.
Psalm 84:
I have detected, in recent months, several comments of despair, of frustration, of fear. There has been for me no greater hope than this psalm. Each line is penned for us by God, our Savior, and given to us through the anonymous authors of the Scriptures. Read this psalm, and do so prayerfully – keep in mind that we are right. There is no debate in the matter. We are the ones dwelling in His courts – we are the ones revering his “lovely tabernacles.” There are those who say to us, “The Old Testament is nice, but is made obsolete by the New.” “The old Traditions have died to new interpretations.” This is false – the old, the Tradition of our ancestors, presents us with the depth and the profundity of what it truly means to suffer for the Church and Her Divine Founder, Jesus Christ. “He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence.”
Psalm 122:
This is a hymn of joy, one which was on my lips as I entered Our Lady of Victory for the first time, when I attended my first Latin Mass, when I first received the sacraments. How great it is to stand in the courts of the Lord! There is nothing on Earth that can mirror the glory and the majesty of simply resting in the presenc of Our Lord. This psalm mentions “Jerusalem.” How much clearer the meaning becomes when one realizes that “Jerusalem” is, for us, this very diocese. We have given ourselves to the Diocese of Rochester – we are the loyal sons and daughters of God who have not turned our backs on He who reigns from our tabernacles. The faithful servant would not declare to his earthly king, “sit over there, sire. We’re celebrating community.” In like manner, we do not speak to our Lord and denounce Him, relegating Him to corner closets and dark annexes. It can be, and most assuredly is possible, that the courts of our own “Jerusalem” have become unfit for Our Lord’s presence, and for this reason we see dwindling numbers of priests and religious, lack of attendance, lack of faith, lack of charity.
Restore respect for Our Lord, find joy in His tabernacles. This is the key, dear readers. Do not discard it as carelessly as others have.
Tags: Orthodoxy at Work
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