February 2, 2025
Feast of the Presentation
Dear Friends of Catholic Tradition,
The feast of the Presentation marks the first act of Our Lord as High Priest. The priest, acting in persona Christi, at Mass offers the victim of Our Lord’s Body and Blood prior to the sacrificing and consecrating (the canon). He does this in the two offertory prayers (deleted in the Novus Ordo) during which recitation he lifts up the bread and wine in offering. The offertory in the True Mass is in imitation of the actions of Our Lord Jesus Christ as High Priest. On the day of the Presentation, His Body and Blood were lifted up in the Temple of God and offered (presented to God) by the ministerial priest Simeon. Thus the “offertory” of our Lord’s Sacrifice on Calvary happened on the 40th day after His birth. This offertory is united and integral to the bloody sacrifice on Calvary. The priest Simeon makes this connection explicit when he tells Our Lady that a sword will pierce her heart (on the day of the consecration and immolation). Thus, the Novus Ordo fails to follow this Divinely established order in the re-enactment or re-presentation in an unbloody manner of the sacrifice of the Cross. In lieu of the Offertory prayers, the Novus Ordo substitutes a Jewish blessing before meals.
It is for reasons like this one that should come to mind on this great feast that we adhere with all our soul to the Traditions of the Church, doctrinal, liturgical, and disciplinary. That is why you read Catholic Family News every month. We integrate articles about this grand struggle between Tradition and Novelty with practical articles about how this struggle is proceeding each month. March 1 and 2 will be a time to step back from our monthly considerations to consider first principles. We hope to see as many of you as possible in Orland for our conference on the Global Battle between Christ’s Program for Order and Satan’s Plan for Disorder according to the teaching of Father Denis Fahey. By the time you read this letter, there will only be days left to secure your spot at this historic conference. To our knowledge no other conference in English has ever been dedicated solely to this topic. This will be a unique opportunity. To register please visit “2025 Conference” on our website www.catholicfamilynews.com or use the QR code contained in the conference ad in this paper.
Until we see you in Orlando, oremus pro invicem.
In Christ the Newborn King,
Brian McCall
Editor-in-Chief