Spiritual Bouquet Participants Share Why They Love the TLM

Responses have come pouring in from around the world since last month’s announcement of the second Missae pro Missa worldwide campaign for the preservation of the Traditional Latin Mass. At present, the spiritual bouquet includes more than 10,000 Masses (requested or heard) and over 35,000 rosaries offered by participants in 45 countries, as shown in the accompanying map. A singular intention underlies all these prayers: that the TLM may remain a flourishing and normal part of the life of the Church.

Along with submitting spiritual offerings, hundreds of participants have left heartfelt comments testifying to their love of the TLM and desire to see it preserved. We present here a sample of the many moving testimonials received, in the hope they will inspire even more to join this effort to save the Traditional Mass by means of the most powerful prayer on Earth: the Catholic Mass itself. Our goal is, and remains, to have at least one million Masses offered for this intention by the Feast of Christ the King.

As one might expect, many of the comments speak to the splendor and reverence of the Church’s traditional Latin liturgy. As one woman from the United States writes,

It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. It feels like a piece of Heaven, as with the angelic Gregorian Chant that has a profound impact in your soul praising God.

 

Another participant writes:

 

Without the Traditional Latin Mass, I would fall into lukewarmness and confusion. It is the liturgy that sets my heart on fire for Jesus, and unites me most closely to His Sacred Heart on the cross. It is the Latin Mass that has made me more “charismatic” than ever: moved by the Holy Spirit!

 

Likely echoing the experience of many parents, a mother notes,

 

We used to drag our kids to Mass, but since discovering the TLM my children go willingly [and] my boys are motivated to serve at the altar. The community has been life changing.

 

Similarly, a father of a family gives his reasons for desiring the Traditional Mass preserved:

 

Because I want to be a saint, I want my wife and kids to be saints. I want my children and all the generations of my children to be saints and to learn about Jesus and Mary together with all the saints. I want all my lineage to grow up knowing the Catholic faith; the same faith the saints of old were nourished by. Viva Christo Rey!!!

 

One especially striking feature of the campaign has been the remarkably strong participation from Latin America. While not usually thought of as a TLM hotspot, it’s clear that Catholics in this region of the world nevertheless are well disposed toward the ancient liturgy and the Faith it represents. As one participant from Honduras writes (translated from Spanish),

 

I love the Traditional Mass, because it is the compendium of our faith, the faith by which my country converted to Christianity and with which I can feel the presence and close holiness of God among our many sins.

 

And a young woman from Mexico writes:

 

In an ever-changing world, I find comfort and strength in the traditions that have sustained our faith for centuries. Attending the Tridentine Mass is for me an act of deep reverence and connection to our Catholic roots. At 19 years old, I have discovered the beauty and solemnity of this liturgy, which allows me to experience the Eucharist in a way that transcends time.

 

Another encouraging aspect of the spiritual bouquet has been the number of priests who have pledged to offer (or have already offered) their own celebrations of Holy Mass for the preservation of the TLM. One generous priest, in committing to celebrating 10 Masses for this intention, had this to say about the traditional form:

 

For me it is the most beautiful way of praising the Lord. The entire Latin Mass is a magnificent expression of the prayer service and respect that humanity must give to God.

 

Another priest writes:

 

It is perfect. It is heaven on earth. It is the eternal liturgy. It cannot be banned (cf. Quo Primum). We will keep it alive underground if we have to.

 

Ironically, but not surprisingly, some of the comments suggest that Pope Francis’ actions to restrict the Traditional Latin Mass are having the opposite effect. As one participant from the United Kingdom writes,

 

I converted 38 years ago and only came to the TLM as a result of Pope Francis’ actions. It is the most God-focused and reverent form of the Mass I have experienced.

 

And even a liturgical modernist will find it difficult not to sympathize with this American woman’s attachment to the usus antiquior:

 

It has increased my prayer life a hundredfold. I can focus more on my faith. I lost my husband and the TLM has given me the peace I needed. I cry when they are trying to take it away. Shame on them.

 

Finally, highlighting the evangelizing power of the ancient rite, this Frenchman ends his testimonial with an earnest plea that summarizes the sentiments of everyone:

 

Assisting at a friend's TLM wedding offered by the FSSP is what brought me into the Catholic Church. Deo Gratias. Your Holiness Pope Francis, I humbly ask you please accompany us pastorally and preserve this sacred tradition that so profoundly nourished St Francis, so many great Saints, and the souls of your spiritual children.

 

To read all the comments left by participants in Missae pro Missa, and to add your own prayers to the worldwide spiritual bouquet for the preservation of the Traditional Latin Mass, please visit: https://www.missaepromissa.com/