Latin Mass North

I just stumbled across this website, Latin Mass North, for those of us on the North Shore of Boston (wandering for 40 years in the desert)...

The TLM that was offered at St Adelaide's in Peabody was beautiful (more on that tomorrow) and it will be offered every 4th Sunday of the month!

Woo hoo!

I Confess!

Let me know if this is Greek to you...

Viva La Vida (Update)

I love this new song by Coldplay. It has a ton of Catholic imagery in it.

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies' eyes
Listened as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead, long live the king
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you'd gone there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Thomas Peters (an American Papist) wrote about it a couple of weeks ago.

Here's an interesting thread discussing the possible meanings of the song...

Bingo! From page 9 (h/t Sainthoodx)...

So, in short, Martin [Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay] is Lucifer (aka. Satan) singing/reminiscing/confessing his sins about the present time from a future perspective.

Lucifer was the most beautiful and terrifying Archangel, with the most authority. Once at the right hand of God, he was cast down to earth and, to this day, given authority by God as king of this wicked world - until the authority is stripped from him at the second coming of Christ, and starts singing this reminiscent song.

Seas rise at Satan's word, as he still retains as much spiritual authority as Gabriel or Michael, if not more because he rules the earth. But in the future he will sleep alone, defeated.

The crowd at large (excluding the revolutionaries, who know the truth) want to follow Satan. Often, without even realizing it, because they believe his lies - even the most common one that he doesn't even exist. So the crowds sing "Now the old king is dead, long live the king". Despite people's need for God, they reject his leadership for a more dangerous/interesting king. God will eventually strip Lucifer of that and "close the walls" on him and Satan will realize that his castles stand on pillars of salt/sand.

Jerusalem bells, and Roman cavalry choirs singing either celebrating the second coming of Christ or maybe Lucifer is reflecting (again: in the future, defeated) back to the present, when people are happy to serve Lucifer (ultimately, by not serving God). He obviously wants "missionaries in a foreign field" for himself, or people to spread his lies . He even mentions, there "was never an honest word.. when I ruled the world" - as he presently rules the world and is the "prince of lies").

His appearance into the world was wicked and wild. People had different reactions to it, but everyone couldn't believe how he'd transitioned from being the leader of all of heaven's armies to the prince of darkness. Many revolutionaries: Christians, crusaders, religious groups, and even Jesus (being the biggest revolutionary - who finally put Lucifer in his place, defeated and alone at Jesus' second coming). Lucifer's feelings are hurt because the revolutionaries mock him with "just a puppet on a lonely string, oh who would ever want to be king?", because his jealousy lead him to a failed attempt to dethrone God and take His place.

Now that he is defeated, he is repentant, so he has this feeling that St. Peter will call his name at the "pearly gates" from the book of life (the list of people allowed into heaven). He confesses that there was never an honest word, but that was way back when he ruled the world.

This could be Lucifers confession, or plea for salvation..

Update: the only issue I have with this theory is centers around these lines...

"People couldn't believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate"

and the fact that the album cover is a painting about the French Revolution by Delacroix. This makes me think this might be King Louis the XVI.

And here's the 30-second clip on Youtube for its iTunes commercial...

Don't forget, a TLM offered in Peabody MA this Sunday

Save the Liturgy, Save the World

details here

Another(!) TLM on the North Shore

Woo hoo! Just got notified of this today...

SAVE THE DATE! 2ND TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS OFFERED NORTH OF BOSTON

Sunday, August 3, 2008
1:00 pm

St. Mary Star of the Sea
Cabot Street
Beverly, MA

Hosted by Father David Barnes
Boston Catholic Conference's
2007 Priest of the Year

Celebrated by Father Mario Lopez, O. Carm.

For further information please contact Latin Mass Community North Spokesperson Pamela Smith at
smith-pamela@comcast.net

Fun on Facebook

Facebook, the 'social utility' website, popular among high schoolers and college students seems to suddenly be attractive us Catholic bloggers (some of whom have been out of school a long time).

I'm having fun interacting with some folks whose blogs I've always
read but never really conversed with directly. Also, there's many
Catholic groups to join to meet other liked-minded Catholics. For
example,

Catholic Resources on Facebook
The Beauty of Veils for Catholic Women
I Love the Sacrament of Penance!
Friends of the Crescat
St. Blog's Parish
I Will Not Support Komen Because it Funds Abortion Providers
1,000,000 Strong For Stephen T Colbert
Prayers for the Poor Souls in Purgatory
The Cause of Canonization of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Catholics forClerics in Cassocks
3 Million Hail Marys to End Abortion
EWTN Fanclub

I'll add the Facebook link to my profile on my blog's profile page. Stop by and say hi if you're in the FB neighborhood...

We live in interesting times

From Father Z (and several other blogs) The remarks between [] are Father Z's...

Latin Mass to return to England and Wales
By Damian Thompson

The traditional Latin Mass – effectively banned by Rome for 40 years – is to be reintroduced into every Roman Catholic parish in England and Wales, [Get that?] the senior Vatican cardinal in charge of Latin liturgy said at a press conference in London today. [This was stated by someone who knows what he is talking about. He wouldn't have said it if it was according to the Holy Father's will. how can we know this? He made a similar statement before. Review this. If the Secretariat of State or the Holy Father had a problem with what Card. Castrillon said back then, he wouldn't be saying it in public now.]

And, if you think Damian Thompson was exaggerating, here is his response/comment in Father Z's blog...

There were four journalists at the press conference – Anna Arco of the Herald, a Catholic guy from Reuters, Elena Curti from the Tablet and me from the Telegraph. I was sceptical that the Cardinal really envisaged the arrival of the Gregorian Rite (his term) in "many ordinary Catholic parishes" and my jaw dropped – and heart leapt – when he said: "Not many – all." Twice. Elena bristled and started talking about going backwards and said something along the lines of "but we [the laity] are now priests, kings and prophets". At which point I told the Cardinal that I wanted to dissociate myself from her comments, that young people were increasingly delighted by the opportunity to experience the TLM and were very grateful for his efforts."

As we left, three out of the four journalists kissed the Cardinal's ring. Guess which one didn't – but then I suppose she's already a priest, king and prophet or whatever.
Comment by Damian Thompson — 14 June 2008 @ 6:00 pm

How soon can we get the Cardinal to say the TLM here in the US (maybe even the Archdiocese of Boston?)?

A TLM begins on the North Shore! (updated)

Deo gratias!

God closes one door...

Holy Trinity, which I've been attending for the past 5 months, has a Tridentine Low Mass at 9 am on Sundays. The attendence has slowly been increasing but the Archdiocese must close it.

And He opens another....

You are invited to

A TRIDENTINE LATIN SOLEMN HIGH MASS

The very first Vatican-authorized TLM on the North Shore in several
decades!

ST. ADELAIDE'S Roman Catholic Church, Peabody, MA

SUNDAY, JUNE 29 AT 2 P.M.
CONFESSIONS 1 p.m.
INSTRUCTION, 1:45 p.m.
Latin-English Missals provided

PLEASE TELL OTHERS.

You are Cordially Invited to a

TRIDENTINE LATIN SOLEMN HIGH MASS

On the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul

Sunday, June 29, 2008
2:00 pm

Confessions 1:00 – 1:40 pm
Instruction 1:45 pm

St. Adelaide Parish Church
708 Lowell Street
Peabody, MA 01960

CELEBRANT: Father Raymond Van de Moortell, Pastor

English-Latin missals available

Refreshments immediately following in the lower church

This Mass is offered in accordance with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter "Summorum Pontificum," issued "motu proprio,"
July 7, 2007

***Directions: Rte 114 to Jct. Rte. 62 SOUTH. Take 62 SOUTH for
two+ miles (into Lynnfield) to Lowell Street (four-way stop). Left on Lowell Street 1.5+ miles. St. Adelaide's is on the right side.

Update:
I did a trial run of the commute to the church as I wanted to check it out. It's rather modern. It will be interesting to see how they adapt the setting to the TLM but I will there on the 29th. By the way, I was able to get into the church because they were having Adoration (around 6 pm on a Wednesday night!). Always a good sign!