MY IDEA OF USELESS REPETITION IN THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT WHAT VATICAN II ASKED!

If a future pope would only go back to the original source for the modification of the Mass and other sacraments, what I would call a new “resourcement” perhaps we could actually enhance the 1962 Roman Missal in a way that Sacrosanctum asked.

1. It asked for “noble simplicity” and I continue to assert this applies more to the Pontifical forms of the Mass, not your typical Low, High and Solemn High Mass in rank and file mom and pop parishes.  

2. It asked for some vernacular, but the preservation of Latin. This could be accomplished by mandating that in Sung Masses the propers be chanted Latin in simple or complicated tones but with the allowance of these in the vernacular in spoken Masses in which the laity could also recite the antiphons. Eliminate all the additional useless Eucharistic Prayers, and make the Roman Canon mandatory for Sundays, Solemnities and feasts. Keep Eucharistic Prayer III for daily Mass, funerals, etc. 

3. It did not ask for a revision of the “Order of the Mass”

4. It did ask for more lavish use of Scriptures. My revision to the current modern lectionary would be to go back the the order of readings of the TLM, maintain the traditional lectionary as “Year A” and add two more years, “B and C” to follow what Sacrosanctum Concilium advocated. And insist that the propers never by substituted with some kind of metrical hymn as the propers are scripture and should be seen as a part of the Word of God at Mass. 

5. Finally, a clarification of useless repetition needs to be made. Here Pope Paul’s Mass overdid it and then added an inane repetition with the multiple refrains of the Responsorial Psalm. I have already indicated how the Communion Rite (the Sacrificial Banquet) of the TLM could eliminate a useless double “Lord, I am not worthy” one for the priest’s communion and the other for the laity. This could be unified and not changing the order of the TLM’s Communion Rite beginning with the Pater Noster. 

The other useless repetition is at the PATFOTA. Combine the Confiteors for the priest and servers into one recited Confiteor but make to other changes. The 1965 revision of the Roman Missal eliminated Psalm 42. That was dumb, since we need a lavish use of Scripture as Vatican II taught. All that needed to be cleaned up was the double Confiteor as I indicate below. Also, I add in the traditional Confiteor, “what I have done and what I have failed to do.”

 PRAYERS AT THE FOOT OF THE ALTAR 

[Bowing before the altar, the priest makes the sign of the cross, saying:] 

P: In the name of the Father, (✠) and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

P: I will go in to the altar of God. 

R: To God, Who giveth joy to my youth. 

PSALM 42 

[The priest and server (and laity) say alternately:] 

P: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. 

R: For Thou art, God, my strength; why hast Thou cast me off? and why do I go all sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me? 

P: Send forth Thy light and Thy truth: they conducted me and brought me unto Thy holy hill, and into Thy tabernacles. 

R: And I will go in to the altar of God: to God Who giveth joy to my youth. 

P: To Thee, O God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad, O my soul, and why dost thou disquiet me? 

R: Hope in God, for I will still give praise to Him, the salvation of my countenance and my God. 

P: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. 

R: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

P: I will go in to the altar of God. 

R: To God, Who giveth joy to my youth. 

P: Our help (✠) is in the name of the Lord. 

R: Who made heaven and earth.

ACT OF CONFESSION 

[Bowing down low, the priest, the servers (and congregation) says:] 

P: I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever virgin, to blessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed, in what I have done and what I have failed to do: [All strike their breast three times saying:] through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech the blessed Mary ever virgin, blessed Michael the archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints, and you, brethren, to pray to the Lord our God for me. 

P: May almighty God have mercy on you and, forgive you your sins, bring you to life everlasting. 

R: Amen. 

[The priest signs himself, saying:] 

P: May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, (✠) absolution, and remission of our sins. 

R: Amen. 

[Again, bowing slightly, the priest goes on:] 

P: Thou wilt turn again, O God, and quicken us. 

R: And Thy people will rejoice in Thee. 

P: Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy. 

R: And grant us Thy salvation. 

P: O Lord, hear my prayer. 

R: And let my cry come unto Thee. 

P: The Lord be with you. 

R: And with thy Spirit. 

P: Let us pray. 

[Going up to the altar, the priest prays silently:] 

P: Take away from us our iniquities, we beseech Thee, O Lord; that, being made pure in heart we may be worthy to enter into the Holy of Holies. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

[He bows down over the altar, which he kisses, saying:] 

P: We beseech Thee, O Lord, by the merits of those of Thy saints whose relics are here, and of all the saints, that Thou wouldst vouchsafe to pardon me all my sins. Amen. 

THE INTROIT