Questions Answered – December 2023

Christ’s Action in the Liturgy Question: The priest is said to act “in the person of Christ” during the Eucharist prayer. Is this true only at the words of institution or during the whole Mass? Answer: As a ritual, the Mass is heaven on … [Read more...]

Response to Peter Kwasniewski

On the solemnity of Corpus Christi this year (June 19), the U.S. bishops launched the “Eucharistic Revival,” a three-year endeavor aimed at rekindling Eucharistic faith and devotion among Catholics. Almost simultaneously, on June 29, Pope Fr … [Read more...]

Eucharistic Competence

By Fr. Winfried M. Wermter C.O. Translated from the German by Dr. William R. Gallagher Introduction Nowadays people everywhere talk about competence. It is truly important that people be on familiar ground in their area of expertise, … [Read more...]

Prayer as the Gateway to Mystery

For a Christian, mystery is reverenced as that hidden dimension in things, people, situations and life which is beyond time, place or physical description. We may understand aspects of this esoteric reality beyond us and we can appreciate … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – May 2021

Question: Why do priests hear confessions during Mass? Doesn’t this detract from the spiritual involvement in all the aspects of the sacrifice? Answer: The questioner seems very upset that two sacraments are going on at the same time and … [Read more...]

The Mass that Always Was There

As a result of the 2020-2021 coronavirus pandemic, Catholic bishops in dioceses around the world restricted public access to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the United States, every Latin Rite diocese reportedly canceled public Masses at … [Read more...]

On Live Streaming the Mass

In an article written in 1953, the German philosopher Josef Pieper raises an alarm about the TV-transmission of the Mass that, at first, sounds hyperbolic and out of date. He seems horrified at what, for us, has become the norm. He argues … [Read more...]

The Early Eucharist: How Was It Experienced?

The Eucharist many Christians experience today has its roots in historical and cultural practices no longer shared by contemporary society. Described in texts of the Early Christian period, the Eucharist was similar to meal customs of the … [Read more...]