The first Easter Vigil I ever attended was in 1979 at the London Oratory. I wasn't prepared for what happened when the celebrant intoned Gloria in excelsis Deo and I nearly fainted. The long Gloria (in this case from Haydn's 'Nelson' Mass) is accompanied by the lighting of all the candles in the church.
Flicking an electric switch to suddenly illuminate the church hardly counts as a rubric, and given the position of the Gloria in the OF it makes sense to turn on the full lighting to coincide with the sudden irruption of the bells and organ. It's a widespread practice (see, for example, the Oxford Oratory, St Mary's Cathedral Sydney and the (Anglican) All Saints Margaret Street). All are on YouTube.
TJM - I'm not sure this is abuse so much as local tradition. There was a tradition that extended beyond the simple veiling of statues that originated in Europe, came to the U.S. in places and is still maintained. I see no "wrong" and/or "abuse here. Something great is happening and the visual helps the people to realize and celebrate that.
Veiling in Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZw7PIBonCs
The Gloria of the Easter Vigil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2iBeMTNrw
Even the Protestants get into this as well - the thurifer is kinda cool with the 360's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WniQMDWWOfE
"But the rubrics say to turn the lights on after the third Lumen Christi, not at the Gloria"
I don't believe the rubrics say, specifically, which lights to turn on, however. Many churches partially illuminate the nave, but leave the sanctuary darkened until the Gloria. To me, if e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g has to be revealed, visible from every sightline every second of every minute of every hour, mystery, drama and grandeur are just leveled. At that juncture, it's just protestant-style worship/praise.
Of all the rubrics that are ignored, changed, or bent, THIS one is not one that I'm inclined to worry about.
On the subject of rubrics, the Mass on Easter Sunday has the Sequence 'Victimae paschali laudes'. The GIRM directs it to be sung before the Alleluia. This is assuming that the interlectionary chants are taken from the Lectionary. If, however, they are taken from the Graduale Romanum the Alleluia precedes the Sequence (as it always did - the Sequence developed from the final jubilus of the Alleluia). The most solemn form of the Novus Ordo (sung Latin) therefore contradicts the rubrics of the General Instruction.
This of course comes from the Novus Ordo 'conceit' which redesignates the Alleluia as a 'gospel acclamation' This is unhistorical and descends into absurdity during Lent with the suppression (in the Lectionary, not in the Graduale) of the Tract, a non-responsorial psalm which is of great antiquity, but which does not fit the 'acclamation' model.
6 comments:
That “liturgical abuse” pales in comparison what most of us put up with during a standard Novus Ordo Mass!
Yeah, but I still like it. Our little parish does something like this and look forward to it every year.
The first Easter Vigil I ever attended was in 1979 at the London Oratory. I wasn't prepared for what happened when the celebrant intoned Gloria in excelsis Deo and I nearly fainted. The long Gloria (in this case from Haydn's 'Nelson' Mass) is accompanied by the lighting of all the candles in the church.
Flicking an electric switch to suddenly illuminate the church hardly counts as a rubric, and given the position of the Gloria in the OF it makes sense to turn on the full lighting to coincide with the sudden irruption of the bells and organ. It's a widespread practice (see, for example, the Oxford Oratory, St Mary's Cathedral Sydney and the (Anglican) All Saints Margaret Street). All are on YouTube.
TJM - I'm not sure this is abuse so much as local tradition. There was a tradition that extended beyond the simple veiling of statues that originated in Europe, came to the U.S. in places and is still maintained. I see no "wrong" and/or "abuse here. Something great is happening and the visual helps the people to realize and celebrate that.
Veiling in Church:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZw7PIBonCs
The Gloria of the Easter Vigil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2iBeMTNrw
Even the Protestants get into this as well - the thurifer is kinda cool with the 360's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WniQMDWWOfE
"But the rubrics say to turn the lights on after the third Lumen Christi, not at the Gloria"
I don't believe the rubrics say, specifically, which lights to turn on, however. Many churches partially illuminate the nave, but leave the sanctuary darkened until the Gloria. To me, if e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g has to be revealed, visible from every sightline every second of every minute of every hour, mystery, drama and grandeur are just leveled. At that juncture, it's just protestant-style worship/praise.
Of all the rubrics that are ignored, changed, or bent, THIS one is not one that I'm inclined to worry about.
On the subject of rubrics, the Mass on Easter Sunday has the Sequence 'Victimae paschali laudes'. The GIRM directs it to be sung before the Alleluia. This is assuming that the interlectionary chants are taken from the Lectionary. If, however, they are taken from the Graduale Romanum the Alleluia precedes the Sequence (as it always did - the Sequence developed from the final jubilus of the Alleluia). The most solemn form of the Novus Ordo (sung Latin) therefore contradicts the rubrics of the General Instruction.
This of course comes from the Novus Ordo 'conceit' which redesignates the Alleluia as a 'gospel acclamation' This is unhistorical and descends into absurdity during Lent with the suppression (in the Lectionary, not in the Graduale) of the Tract, a non-responsorial psalm which is of great antiquity, but which does not fit the 'acclamation' model.
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