Ash Wednesday is a good example of how the Bugnini Mass misses the point. In what we must start calling the correct Roman Rite, the imposition of ashes precedes the Mass. It is accompanied by the responsory Emendemus in melius: 'Let us amend for the better in those things in which we have sinned through ignorance; lest suddenly undertaken by the day of death, we seek space for repentance and are not able to find it.' A stark warning. The Introit which follows is Misereris omnium: 'Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made, overlooking the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them.' A consolation.
Because Bugnini had the fixed idea (with no historical precedent) that additions to the Mass must be interpolated after the Gospel, the order is reversed - the consolation offered by the Introit is followed by the stern warning. Not only is this a liturgical solecism, it is bad psychology.
The problems with the Novus Ordo are not always the obvious ones.
It started when Bugnini (in 1955) inserted the foot-washing into the Missa in Cena Domini. I suppose placing it after the Gospel made some sense, since the Gospel has Our Lord washing the feet of the disciples. But doing likewise with sacraments and sacramentals generally is hard to justify.
3 comments:
Ash Wednesday is a good example of how the Bugnini Mass misses the point. In what we must start calling the correct Roman Rite, the imposition of ashes precedes the Mass. It is accompanied by the responsory Emendemus in melius: 'Let us amend for the better in those things in which we have sinned through ignorance; lest suddenly undertaken by the day of death, we seek space for repentance and are not able to find it.' A stark warning. The Introit which follows is Misereris omnium: 'Thou hast mercy upon all, O Lord, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made, overlooking the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them.' A consolation.
Because Bugnini had the fixed idea (with no historical precedent) that additions to the Mass must be interpolated after the Gospel, the order is reversed - the consolation offered by the Introit is followed by the stern warning. Not only is this a liturgical solecism, it is bad psychology.
The problems with the Novus Ordo are not always the obvious ones.
John Nolan,
I doubt Pope Francis would understand what you are talking about!
TJM
It started when Bugnini (in 1955) inserted the foot-washing into the Missa in Cena Domini. I suppose placing it after the Gospel made some sense, since the Gospel has Our Lord washing the feet of the disciples. But doing likewise with sacraments and sacramentals generally is hard to justify.
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