Atheists Find God at the Latin Mass: A Review of Mass of the Ages – CatholicCitizens.org – Catholic Citizens of Illinois

By Jeremiah Bannister, One Peter Five, August 19, 2024

Mass of the Ages, Episode I: Discover the Traditional Latin Mass Directed by Cameron OHearn Produced by Jonathan Weiss and Cameron OHearn Director of Photography Thomas Shannon Original Score by Mark Nowakowsk

Click here to support the project

If its true (and it is) that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church, then its fair to say thatthe death of director Cameron OHearns fatheris the seed of the greatest Catholic documentary of the decademaybe even of all time.

Mass of the Agesmay have had humble beginningsafter it wasfunded by a grassroots lay initiativebut I can imagine a moment where the team of young men behind the scenes awoke to the realization that this wasnt an ordinary film. Whether Thomas Shannons awe-inspiring cinematography, Christopher Amodios quintessential color grading, or Mark Nowakowskis sensational score, the movies production had all the mixings of something truly great. And if any doubt remained, it was certainly washed away under wave after wave of priests and bishops, scholars, and laypeople telling the tale of how the Traditional Latin Mass totally transformed their lives.

Of course, much can (and should) be said regarding every jot and tittle of the film, but I was particularly moved bysomething said by Dr. Taylor Marshall. For beyond the saddening statistics concerning the shortage of Catholic priests or the tragic loss of faith among the laity, there was (as Marshall so eloquently said regarding the brilliance of the Blessed Sacrament nestled within the setting of the traditional Roman rite) a kind of diamond in this film. This diamond was cut deep by the Great Lapidary, through which the light of Christ seemed to shine most brightthat being, the Mauss family, the central narrative of the film.

The movie began, symbolically enough, with a well-lit scene proceeding toward the illustrious high altar at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by a descent through the dimly lit sanctuary of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Littleton, Colorado. The optics were captivating, but then, toward the tail end of the departure, the camera gently glides between rows of candlescandles twinkling alongside the black funeral pall of a casket. I shuddered at the sight, and I worried whether this film wasnt what Id expectedor, maybe more accurately, that it was more than I was prepared to handle. The answer came seconds later, witha somber scene at a cemetery, where a family huddled together in prayer.

It was jolting, and tears flooded my eyes, as I saw at this moment a reflection of my own experience. And while I was yet unsure where all of this would lead, one thing was certain: Mass of the Ages wasnt a film I could watch on my own. It was, asthe aftermath of my daughters death with childhood brain cancer, a family affair, something we were destined to experience together. So I rushed to the family room and told them that I had something I wanted them to see and, more importantly, I told them that I needed them, through to the end by my side.

And it was true, for scene after scene struck so many heartstrings, composing a kind of chorus involving the most bittersweet of memories and emotions. Things wed seen, things wed felt, things wed loved and lost many of themso agonizingly beautiful, but all of themthings wehadto do. The comparisons were endless, too! The father,Michael Mauss, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, given only 12 months to live. My daughter Sami, at only 10-years-old, was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, which took her life after a mere 16 months.

There was the story of Michael, shortly after learning of his diagnosis, smiling on a hospital bed, assuring everyone hell do his best and that everything will be fine. This fit the exact description of avideo Sami madefor her supporters shortly after learning she had cancer. And there wasthe tear-jerking scene of Michael and Kristine renewing their wedding vows, which reminded us of the time a priest prayed a blessing over my daughter, whom he lovingly referred to as Fire Toes.

Watching this was almost overwhelming, and everyone was in tears, but it was the aftermath of Michaels death that hit me most profoundly. Like Kristine after the loss of her husband, the death of our daughter left my family in limbo, unsure of what the future held in store. By that time, I was a Catholic turned apostate, adrift in the raging seas of secular atheism, lacking what Kristine calls the solid foundation of tradition. But like Fr. Illo points out later in the film, Theres a lot of questions that kids normally have, and if those are not addressed theyll go somewhere else to find the answers. Andmy kids had some serious questions!

Who built the universe,Papa? What is right and wrong, Papa? Why dont you ever pray, Papa?

I addressed them, of course, but I knew I was wrong, and they knew it too, so they continued, even asking to see what church looked like. I did my darnedest to distract and dissuade them, even going so far as to show a series of videos from popular Protestant denominations, banking on the idea that theyd find it all very laughable and they did. But it wasnt enough, as one of them quickly replied,But are we Catholic, Papa?It was specific, and with names like Athanasius, Ambrose Louis, and Teresa Avila Lucille, it was definitely a God thing.

As an Atheist, I finally conceded to our childrens request for God.So like any parent in the 21st century does, we showed them YouTube videos of different religions: Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, as well as the Novus Ordo rite. But when we showed them a video of the Latin Mass, my barely-catechized children understood that that was the only place they sought to find God. Their decision was unanimous: we would go to Christmas Vigil at the local parish where Ambroses godmother attended and where, unbeknownst to us, the priest who blessed my daughter just so happened to preside.

At one point in the film, Crisis Magazines Editor-in-Chief Eric Sammons says, The first impression [of the Latin Mass] for some people isnt always a positive one because its so different from anything they experiencedthey really just dont know what to think. Thats true for some people. For others, that foreign feeling of something timeless and transcendent, something set apart in (and beyond) space and time, is just what theyre looking for and exactly what they need. Kristine knows this all too well, insisting, The idea of eternity, it smacks them in the middle of the eyes every day. For the Mauss family, its where their dad is. For us, its where Sami lives, always smiling, dancing care- and cancer-free for all eternity. And Kristines right: its not to make everything about death, but this life is not what we were created forand to walk my children into heaven however I can is the number one priority of my life.

Conveniently enough, our journey played out in a way that can be summed up by different quotes from the film. Theres Fr. Illos story of the woman who recognized, through the quiet and humbling lens of the Latin Mass, her desire (and complete lack) of control. TheresFr. Joshua Caswell, SJC, detailing how the goal of the liturgy is not to evangelize but to worship God, and yet, how

So many atheists, Satanists, and other people wander into the church, knowing little to nothing about the Catholic faith, and yet are seemingly drawn to it because theres an experience of something bigger than themselves.

And Dr. Peter Kwasniewskis description of how the prayers at the foot of the altar start us slowly and carefully, preparing us for the ascent up the Holy Mountain, granting us a sense of our sinfulness and

A chance to wake up to what we are doing, to catch up with what were doingin a way, to slow us down [serving as] a period of preparation, a period of transition that takes us from secular life to this timeless domain of the sacred.

I was an atheist, but I experienced God at the Latin Mass.And just the married couple recalling their humorous first experience at a Latin MassWhats crazy is that we came back, we kept goingsuddenly we found ourselves returning every Sunday to the traditional Roman rite. For now, like Kristine, my goal and number one priority from that point onward was to walk my children into heaven however I can is the number one priority of my life, and that

The way I have been able to reorder my life [as a parent] has come from traditional Catholicism it has completely, radically transformed every aspect of our livesit is a liturgy and a way of lifethat breeds incredible peace and freedom its a refuge from this crazy scary world, and its the space where I can just place the cross down for a little bit.

Kristine finishes that line of thought with a question: where would we be without this? To which I echo her answer, I dont know, adding only, in a sea of sorrow, a desert of despair anywhere (and everywhere) but Rome sweet home.

And this is the story of countless souls across the world whose lives have been transformed by their encounter with God in the Mass of the Ages. Pope Francis seems to have largely hinged his recentmotu proprioon the claim that the Latin Mass is tied more to the desire and wishes of individual priests than to the real need of the holy People of God (Letter Accompanying Traditionis Custodes). From the grassroots funding for the film, to the stories related therein, to our own experience and those of thousands more, this claim of clericalism could not be further from the truth about the liturgy of our forefathers.

The film elevates the Mauss family brilliantly, set in the cinematic Golden Hour, with Kristine standing with her children along the waters edge of a lakeside shore. Whether dusk or dawn, it doesnt matter, for, as had become evident throughout the film, the Mauss family lives, moves, and has their being in the inextinguishable light of an everlasting fire, one that burns brightly in their hearts, shining forth, mysteriously, through the collective twinkle in their smiling eyes for all the world to see. And behind them, almost prophetically, a skyline of heavenly hills, coruscating clouds, and solace, hidden, yet ever-present, distant, but only for a time. And, as it is with faithful Catholics tethered to the Traditional Latin Mass, its saddled on a circuit, providing warmth and light, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever, world without end, amen.

Mass of the Agesis a MUST-SEE movie fit for people of all ages. As for me and my family, we give it a resounding 5/5 stars. We are eagerly awaiting the premiere of Episode II which hints at addressing the real history of our liturgical chaos and the crisis in the Church.

Photo credit: provided by the author.

This article first appeared HERE.

See the rest here:
Atheists Find God at the Latin Mass: A Review of Mass of the Ages - CatholicCitizens.org - Catholic Citizens of Illinois