Catholics/The Validity of intention

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Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 12/12/2010


Question
A friend of mine and I have been investigating the intentions of some of our priests in our area with regard to the Mass. I asked my reguler parish priest about the sacrafice of the Mass and what it is all about and while he did say it was a sacrafice and that Jesus does show up I was concerned with one thing. I asked him, "Is the mass primarily a sacrafice?" His exact response was, "That's one of the things that it's about." So I asked him again " Is the mass PRIMARILY a sacrafice?" and he gave the exact same response that he gave above. Should I be concerned? Should I still go to Mass there?

Answer
Hi, Denis:

The Holy Eucharist is both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice. I think we should be careful about distinguishing one element from the other, keeping in mind that they cannot be entirely separated. Having said that, I am not aware of any Magisterial Document that states the sacrificial aspect has primacy over the sacramental aspect.
If you mean primarily in the sense of time and order, the meal of Holy Communion flows from the Sacrifice accomplished; and so the Sacrifice comes first in the order of this Divine Act of Worship.
Saying merely: "That's one of the things that it's about," does not seem to me to expressly deny either that it is Sacrifice or Holy Meal.  Only if he has said it was NOT a Sacrifice; then do I think there would be cause for doubting the validity of intentionality in offering the Mass.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

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Fr. Timothy Johnson

Expertise

A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.

Experience

I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001.

Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)

Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology; MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary; 2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality. BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy; BA - Liberal Arts; AA - General Studies.

Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15. Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office. I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church. Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.

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