He writes:
Greetings from _. I just thought I’d drop a note about my Mass experience on Sunday. I frequently get loaned out when there is a need. Such was the case this past Sunday….
To give some personal context, I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, am nearing my 3rd anniversary of ordination, and am learning to celebrate the Mass according to the 62 Missal. [W]here I am stationed is by no means high church, but pretty "by the book" (we’re working on it). In addition, my confreres have charge of a parish where things are done along fairly traditional lines ….
All of this serves as a setup for the following: I realized this weekend that while I have been rediscovering the tradition, I have lost touch with the old Mass. Do not confuse this "old Mass" with the Traditional Latin Mass which for me is an ageless timeless discovery. The "old Mass" to which I refer is the Mass of my youth. It is the Mass of pianos and guitars, the Mass of loquacious commentators and "greet the people around you." It is the Mass of audience participation and interior dullness. It is the Mass of primping cantresses and now-dated pop styled music about us. It is the Mass of candy jar ciboria and pewter chalices handled by an excessive number of extraneous ministers (who must process in and out of course).
It hit me after the first Mass Sunday morning that, as a child born in the 70’s, all of this has become terribly old and tired and compared to the timeless tradition of the Church and is just worn out.
Mark me down in favor of the Mass of the ages and please let’s hang up the "old Mass."
Now.... go to Fr. Z's original post and catch his comments on this, as well as the combox chatter. I got a good chuckle out of this at lunch time and needed it.
Te Deum Laudamus! Home
The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
2 Comments:
Boy do we have the Old Mass in spades at my parish, Parish of the Holy Spirit, GR Mich.
Piano & guitar: ✓ (occasionally windchimes, bongoes & full drum kit)
Loquacious commentators: ✓ (10 minutes on Catholic schools week)
Meet and greet: ✓
Cantresses: ✓ (ours don't primp but we have only one cantor & he's always paired with a cantress)
Pop music, all about how great we are: ✓
Pewter chalices & ciboria: ✓ (equally likely the sacristan pulls out the crystal chalices)
EMHC's: ✓ (8-10, always)
We also offer: Incense maybe once per year (not even at Easter Triduum last year!), no altar rail, massive reception of Holy Communion in the hand, the blandest vestments, altar girls (usually 2-3 servers, at least 2 of whom are female), altar servers wearing just an alb & basketball shoes (have loafers been recalled along with the peanuts?)...And my Catholic coworkers wonder why I slip down to Sacred Heart for the 12:30 TLM whenever possible.
Almost forgot: we also have near universal holding of the hands during the Our Father. I think there's my family and one other that hold out and I'm not sure that they haven't given in too.
What really sets my teeth on edge is how everyone wants to raise their neighbor's hands higher when we get to, "For the Kindom, the power and the glory..." Stop it people! Just stop!
Wait there's more! The architecture of the church is the round, spaceship design. No saints except one lone statue of the Blessed Virgin. No votive candles for us to light, although some are always some burning nearby. The tabernacle is not behind the altar (but the choir is!) it's on the opposite side from Mary. (My wife points out it's like we're trying to keep Mary as far from her Son as possible.)
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