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Last
week I had a rather troubling dream. I fought with the evil spirit all night
long. He kept appearing under the guise of nasty things, all I remember is
mice and cats, and I would grab holy water and throw it on him, but he would
just laugh. Then I remembered (in my dream still) that the holy water had
been blessed according to the new rite, so perhaps it didn’t have the
same exorcisms as the traditional holy water. So I went and found a bottle
and sprinkled it on him, and he burst into flame and disappeared
hissing. . . . When I woke up, I proceeded to sprinkle the
whole place with holy water, just in case the dream wasn’t simply a
dream.
I do think it is very possible that the holy water we find in many churches
today, does not include the exorcism that was used by better informed priests
of former times. The devil is not as real as he once was to many, and so
perhaps in consequence the lengthy exorcisms are seen as unnecessary? Have
you ever been present when holy water is blessed in the traditional way?
It is awesome.
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 es, the old ritual for blessing
water is truly impressive compared to the new prayers. Still, holy water
is a sacramental, not a sacrament, and so
its efficacy lies not in itself but in the faith of the user.
Therefore, let’s look closely
at your dream. In the dream, you believe that water blessed according to
procedures of the Novus Ordo (Latin for the “New Order” of the
Mass, from Vatican II) is not as good as water blessed according to traditional
Tridentine (i.e., defined by the Council of Trent) procedures. Consider carefully
the effect of this belief. You’re saying that one aspect of the Church
is not as good as another. And what does this lead to, this splitting of
the Church into “valid” and “not valid”? It leads to
a house divided.
Remember here what Christ said
when He was accused of casting out demons with demonic powers. “Every
kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and no town or house divided
against itself will stand” (Matthew 12:25). By analogy, then, we can
say that a person divided by beliefs about the efficacy of “Novus
Ordo” versus “Tridentine” is in danger of being laid waste.
And that is why you are being attacked by evil: the division in your heart
has left a gaping hole for evil to
enter.
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Just try telling
someone that he or she is lacking in faith. If anger and bitterness immediately
erupt, it only proves the point that faith is really lacking. |
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Now, I agree that the celebration
of the new order of the Mass is open to
abuse.[1]
Still, I accept the Novus Ordo as perfectly valid. The real issue between
the new Mass and the Tridentine Mass is not about validity; it’s about
reverence, or, more technically, conservatism. As I say
elsewhere on this website, “A
conservative—a true conservative—seeks to conserve respect for
the divine mystery of Christ’s Incarnation and Passion that is behind
every liturgical action of the Catholic Church.” Thus, the Novus Ordo
can be offered conservatively, and there are places—though they may
be hard to find—where it is offered conservatively.
So, to protect yourself from
further attack by the devil, think not in terms of Church matters as being
“valid” or “not valid,” because such thinking only divides
the house; think in terms of conservatism, and seek always to conserve the
divine mystery of Christ’s Incarnation and Passion in everything you
do. Your protection from evil depends not on which order of
Mass you attend but on how well you cling in
faith to the Church herself.
Therefore, we have to keep in
both our minds and our hearts the truth that if the Church
says that new formulae are valid, then they are valid.
Hence, I interpret your dream
as pointing to your personal spiritual weakness: the devil is not mocking
the ineffectiveness of the “new” holy water itself, he mocks your
hesitancy in faith. Remember, if faith the size of a mustard seed could pick
up a mulberry tree (Luke 17:6) or a mountain (Matthew 17:20 and 21:21; Mark
11:23) and throw it into the sea, then that same faith—regardless of
the words used to express it—can send the devil back to
hell.
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1. You may have to travel quite a distance on
Sundays to find a conservative Mass, but you may not have the time for extensive
travel on weekdays. If you ever have to go to a liberal parish, then instead
of putting money into the collection, leave a note that says, more or less,
“I attend Mass here daily, but I will not support this parish financially
as long as you continue to [use altar girls; use glass vessels at the altar;
use extraordinary ministers in un-extraordinary circumstances; alter the
liturgical texts; fail to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament; make the
homily into joking entertainment; etc.].” This isn’t being
judgmental, it’s a matter of giving a
legitimate warning, and at least you won’t go home fuming in
anger trying to fight
the devil. Then give your money to a parish, monastery, or seminary that
supports holy priests.
  
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Huh? Donations? Freewill
website?