As everyone knows, I love the TLM and I love the MRM! For me it isn’t either/or but both/and. I would have preferred the slightly revised Roman Mass Missal immediately following Vatican II, the so-called 1965 or 66 Roman Missal, copies of which I have. The interim Missal allowed for a great deal of vernacular but maintained Latin and the Order the Ancient Mass. It made some simplifications, but did not destroy the rite itself. Although Mass facing the people was encouraged, it was still the Ancient Mass although somewhat adapted. Kneeling for Holy Communion was still the norm, although the formula for the laity was horribly truncated.
The Modern Missal can have the same ethos as the ancient missals in terms of reverence, reduction of banality and NOT making the apex of Catholic prayer, sacrifice and priesthood into a kind of lecture directed to the laity, prayer read as though to the laity, and priestly faces and antics central to the Mass.
We need to recover the ethos of the ancient missals. We need to recover contemplation, mysticism, mystery, reverence and piety. We need an otherworldliness with the liturgy that points to the heavenly liturgy, not a liturgy that is like an attending a sporting event and where high fives are given.
Here are some photos from my former parish of Saint Anne. They’re somewhat young, but now clearly aging pastor, my successor, has kicked the liturgy there into high gear. All Masses at Saint Anne are ad orientem and all have the ability to be welcomed to kneel for Holy Communion on comfortable kneelers:
The Great Easter Vigil (not necessarily in order):
Easter Sunday (not necessarily in order):
4 comments:
Love me some Father Dawid. What a great successor for you!
Great photos. You left your parish in good hands, Father McDonald.
I thought you might like this statement from Father Hunwicke:
"Clearly, 'Catholic' Liturgy is currently in the most truly terrible hands. There is the horrible, unCatholic view of PF and Roche, that Liturgy is not a great received and given Holy Tradition, but a matter of daily legal positivism. 'Authorities' intrude, prescribe, impose, forbid, tinker, reclarify, and, perhaps, graciously permit it, otherwise it is not "licit"; and those who use it will need to have their ignorances corrected in a Maoist-style 're-education' programme. If they ... we ... persist in recalcitrance, they ... we ... will need to be thoroughly whacked with a great big stick.
That is appalling enough. May God forgive them."
You should suggest to your successor that the altar could really use a ciborium magnum over it.
Sophia here: Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos, Father. Fr. Dawid is clearly flourishing in his vocation and his parishioners are so blessed to have another faithful shepherd. I am so glad he is back home our Diocese!
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