The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

Today we celebrate the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and therefore upon the Church. We see a drastic transformation in the Apostles. These once fearful men after receiving the Holy Ghost have become strong and courageous.

All power that was Christ's has been given to the Apostles and now by the power of the Holy Ghost they understand the words of Christ and the power that was given to them. These once fearful men now boldly proclaim the Gospel of Christ not only to the men of Jerusalem but to the whole world.

The Holy Ghost will remain with the true Church to the end of the world. The power of Christ which was given to the Apostles has been handed from one Apostle to the next right up to the present day. The power that a bishop receives upon his consecration through the hands of successors of the Apostles is neither a human power nor a power given by man, but is a divine power which comes directly from the Holy Ghost. "Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the Church of God." Acts 20: 28. And St. Chrysostom says: "If it were not for the Holy Ghost, there would be no shepherds and teachers in the Church."

As kings govern their kingdoms by their officers, so the Holy Ghost governs the Church by the pastors as his instruments, and defends her against all enemies, so that the gates of hell can never prevail against her.

The Holy Ghost acts through the Apostles and therefore through their successors the bishops to teach, sanctify and govern the Church. Therefore, what the true bishops teach is the teaching of God. This teaching is unchangeable because God is unchangeable.

So many "Traditionalists" point the finger at the Novus Ordo and the new "Mass" and proclaim that the Mass promulgated by the Council of Trent (Tridentine Mass) is the only one allowed and no other can be permitted. This is not true. The Council of Trent recognized and permitted other rites of the Mass that were already in existence over 200 years. Logically the Church could create a new liturgy if She deemed it necessary. This "New Order" is not wrong because it is new. It is wrong because the ritual denies fundamental truths (doctrines) that the Holy Ghost has taught us previously. The Holy Ghost cannot change His mind.

The Apostles and all the popes and bishops in the Catholic Church for more than two thousand years have told us that in the words of Christ in the transubstantiation of wine into His Blood, He says "...which shall be shed for you and for many ..." "For many" is not the same as "for all". Did the Holy Ghost get this wrong for two thousand years? Maybe God changed His mind and now wants to make the intention of His sacrifice different retroactively? This is ludicrous! This of itself is enough to show us that it cannot be the same Spirit in this "New Order" that is with the Church to the end of time, but there are many more instances to be considered.

The doctrine of sacrifice has been done away with in favor of celebrating a meal. The Mystical Body of Christ has been suppressed and replaced by the "people of God". The distinction might appear subtle to many but it is nonetheless real. The ideas contained in the words "Mystical Body" refer to men being incorporated into the Church and therefore into Christ. The "people of God" is often explained in a way that makes all men to be christs or gods. It accepts men the way that they are rather than demand of them the necessity of putting off the world and putting on Christ.

There are so many more instances that we could look into, but that would take more than this space will allow.

While promoting a new Spirit (the Spirit of Vatican II) we see a gross departure from the Spirit of the true Church.

The accidents of language and rites are not the critical differences that many think them to be. The important point that we should be looking at are the doctrines. God will never teach us something that is contrary to what He has taught our ancestors. The true Church must have bishops (successors to the Apostles) who have their power and authority directly from God to teach, sanctify and govern in the name of God. And these bishops must always be consistent with the bishops that came before them all the way back to the Apostles themselves.

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