On my way into the Church and before I was officially received into the Church I first started to attend Mass at what became my home parish. For a period of time that Mass I had stumbled into was in fact what was the indult Mass of what is now called the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. I say stumbled since I found this Church by accident when driving around and saw it had a bookstore. Those who know me would not be surprised a bookstore would be such a lure. When we walked into the Church I was blown away by the beauty of it as it conformed to what movies and television had led me to believe is what a Catholic Church should look like. Funny how Hollywood never uses a scene involving the modern clamshell or theater-in-the-round style churches as background. This parish had had the indult Mass for some years since it was first allowed. So this was my introduction to Mass on my way into the Church. There was a beauty to it that was quite the opposite of the experience in the 70s when I attended Mass with my mother. I really enjoyed singing at those folk/pop Masses and since there was pretty much zero transcendence and feel of any sacredness it did not bother my atheist sensibilities to go there with my Mother. Being new to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass while I felt the transcendence of it and the feeling that something sacred was going on there I also had zero background in understanding what was going on other than some basics. Because of logistics and other factors we started to attend a later Mass there of the ordinary form, though once a month Latin was used in the same way that EWTN does the Ordinary Form. When it comes to the Ordinary Form vs. the Extraordinary Form debate I have often thought that the debate usually was really the Ordinary Form with liturgical abuses vs. the TLM (Traditional Latin Mass). My home parish has the Ordinary Form without liturgical abuses and while you do get some of the standard plate of modern sacred music, there has been more of an effort to include much of the sacred music that is our patrimony as Catholics. Plus of course no guitars are involved with the Pipe Organ being the primary instrument. So I have experienced the Ordinary Form of the Mass that was conductive to worship and prayer.
In my travels around diocesan parishes though this does not seem to be the norm and while I have found three parishes that I can go to without lapsing into liturgical abuse and sacred music critique mode, this is sadly not the case for the majority of parishes. Most parishes seem to think active participation means guitars and percussion instruments. That you can rouse the pew sitters into active participation. That this combination will someday actually induce the majority of those in the pews to sing along. That another chorus of On Eagle Wings will finally bring about the distorted sense of active participation they dream of. God Bless those involved in music ministry in giving of themselves and of their time, but really often I just want to shake them or give them copies of the Church’s documents regarding liturgy and Cardinal Ratzinger’s “The Sprit of the Liturgy”. They seem to be totally ignoring the direction the Pope is giving us by example. So to say the least these types of Masses leave me totally distracted and unable to pray.
One egregious example recently was a parish that combined organ with a full drum set. Psychotic split-personality liturgy. Hearing drum runs and buildups during the Gloria and re-worded Agnus Dei (Lamb of God removed) was not a pleasant experience, but I really do try to realize that I am there for worship and not to check off annoyances. I don’t often succeed at doing this. I remember back after the release of Summorum Pontificum that some members of this parish and others had a meeting with the Director of Liturgy for the Diocese. Father Z covered this meeting and the resulting document from the Diocese which was way negative towards having the TLM at this parish for the standard false reasons. So I was surprised to find out later that the TLM was being celebrated twice a month in the older church building. Recently they started having this Mass every Sunday.
I had never seen what is known as “historic St. Joseph” before and looking it up I found that it was the oldest Catholic Church still standing in Jacksonville, Fl and that the wooden structure had been built in 1883 back when the area was a farming community.
St. Joseph as seen in 1891
We went to Mass there yesterday and the church looks much the same on the outside though of course surrounded with modern infrastructure of streets and a parking log. When I entered the church I was much taken with both the beauty and simplicity of the interior. A traditional high altar with tabernacle makes up the center of this cruciform style Church with the interior being all wood. A small cozy church with great acoustics. As I had not attended a TLM in some years I was not quite prepared for the experience. My knowledge of the TLM had been much increased and seeing the TLM occasionally on EWTN certainly prepared me more than when I had first stumbled into the TLM. Really though I was blown away by how easy it was for me to enter into the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to pray and worship God. I am so prone to distractions that I am easily set off track, that was less so on this occasion. Sure small distractions like seeing the incongruity of a priest wearing a maniple and a wireless receiver distracted me, but overall it was really a joyous experience and one I still have a glow of. After last week’s experience of banal sacred music and hordes of Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion I was stunned by the experience of again receiving Holy Communion kneeling at the Communion Rail. For me there is just no comparison between shuffling up in the Communion line and being able to pray and kneel while awaiting to receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Really though it was the flow of the whole Mass as being something where we all pray and worship together vice being directed by a priest-peformer who has to make eye-contact with everybody and casually interacting with “Good mornings” and “Have a good day’s”. Sure these area all liturgical hot-button issues, but I am convinced more than ever that the Ordinary Form of the Mass still has a lot to learn from the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. The so-called reform of the reform is more than just a buzzword phrase, but really something important to the life of the Church.
There are secondary considerations regarding how I was more easily able to enter into the Mass. For one attendees of the TLM are much more likely to dress modestly and to dress up. So much easier to retain custody of the eyes when women are not attending Mass in backless dresses and spaghetti straps. There was so much silence only interrupted by the sounds of babies (but these sounds always bring me joy). I love the pipe organ, but in this simple church the Latin hymns were all sung A cappella and seemingly by the majority of the worshipers. External aesthetics contribute to internal dispositions and anything that keeps my internal distractions to the minimum are too the good. I am too prone to chasing after liturgical squirrels.
For those playing liturgical topic bingo at home – yes I covered some hot topics. My intention though was not to contribute to heated discussion, but to provide some measure of the joy I experienced in actually being able to pray the Mass and to worship God to the extent of my limited capabilities.
8 comments
I feel the same way about the TLM. In addition to the points you mentioned, another difference I have noticed between the two is that the homily seems to be the “high point” of the ordinary form. Once everyone has received, mass is just done (except for the announcements, and obligatory welcoming of visitors and jokes at the expense of the men’s club). With the EF mass, the Eucharist is clearly the pinnacle of worship and once one has received, mass isn’t just… over… there is still so much left to pray for and about. The OF is too busy and too noisy. The EF allows the time and silence necessary for being truly in the presence of God.
I can’t help but think that there is scrupulosity coming into play here. I understand liturgical preferences, but to blame these “abuses” for not feeling a spirit of transcendence seems a bit much. Sorry, don’t buy it. The world is a messy place and we need to find our spirituality within this mess, even when it’s at a Mass that doesn’t conform to our standards.
Wow, This is great. I was at Mass yesterday (EF) and had realized another reason why I prefer the Latin Mass: Sacrifice as compared to “supper” You may not agree fully, but it’s nice to know many do feel reverence more at the EF Mass.
“another chorus of On Eagle Wings will finally bring about the distorted sense of active participation they dream of” — HA HA HA, I hear you there.
“….I really do try to realize that I am there for worship and not to check off annoyances. I don’t often succeed at doing this…” Exactly. I try so hard to accomplish this myself, and then I think — why should my parish spend hours of time in planning and practice to produce something that makes at least SOME of its members work so hard to pretend they are not even present??? Why should the church MAKE me work to be there? This is taking the idea of heroic virtue in the wrong direction!
Thanks for this beautiful post! I often attend a very excellent Novus Ordo Parish but try to attend the TLM as often as possible. One thing I really miss is the flow of liturgical time which seems to be lacking so much in the N.O. revised calendar. We are now in the Season after Pentecost which will go all the way into Advent. The Mass readings do not vary year by year and there is only one yearly cycle.
The particular prayers of the Mass are called the “Propers” and I try to post links to those each day for those interested. There is even an excellent “app” for those on iPhones. That continuity of time over the year (without using the “ordinal” number), the continuation of Octaves, Ember Days and so many very Catholic things all draw me to the TLM Mass. The FSSP has a live Mass in Venice, Florida each day, and it is posted online so that anyone can see the Mass for the Day every day (either live or recorded).
Thanks for great post! Pax tecum!
D.v.
Little known fact: organs and drums used to go together – in the Middle Ages ( no drum set, though).
I actually left a parish, once because of the music. I kept getting mad each Sunday at the Disneyfication of the music. Among other things, I am a musicologist and I know the history of Church music. Music is a part of the liturgy. It is a part of the prayer of the Mass. If the music is secular, it distorts the prayers of the Mass. For what it’s worth, these sorts of quasi-folk music songs at the OF are in technical violation of the rules for music in the documents of Vatican II. Folk music is permitted for a time in missionary countries to ease in the liturgy. In the 1970’s the U. S. was still, technically, defined as a missionary country, so one could argue that these folk songs, like Eagle’s Wings, would have been allowed.. The status of the U. S. was changed from that of a missionary country in the 1980’s, so, technically, American sounding folk/rock music is no longer allowed.
I really think people would take to chant if they had a chance to hear it performed, properly.
It will be interesting to see how people take to the new (should have been correct in the first place) translation of the OF this Advent. You know, Google would have done a better job than the original ICEL translation (take some of the Latin OF and put it into Google translate and see how much closer it comes to a proper translation than what is in the book, currently). Thankfully, there will be no Goggle missals.
The Chicken
I feel a greater ability to worship and pray when I go to the Ordinary Mass, though to be fair I only went to one Latin Mass, thinking I’d get a more prayerful experience. I couldn’t relate; I felt like I had not been to Church. But that’s another matter.
What I figured out is that I needed a really reverent Mass and so I kept searching till I found the right place (no dancing, no half prepared Homilies, no laziness or ad-libbing by renegade priests.) Now I go to a church run by one order, which I hadn’t experienced since college. The Capuchins Franciscans run it and they are both joyful and serious at what they do; no easy feat, it seems, but one that makes me a lucky church-goer.
On music in Mass: I find it distracting to be honest. My favorite Masses have been the small daily back at College (and not since, some 20+ years) that were intimate, quiet, and which, being at a college, were designed to fit into the day and in between classes. I find it distracting to sing praise to God when I really want to speak it and say it in response to something the Priest prompts, almost in a rhythym. I love the flow of the “new Mass” and it’s literally an irritant to have to interupt it to sign something that can just as easily be said and which allows my reverence to be felt as I’m saying it and not have my ability to sing (or not) be a distraction. It’s like trying to hold a smile for the camera. The exception is during Communion. Then I love a beautiufl Ava Maria (who doesn’t), sung well and quietly. Am I too picky? Maybe I should put a note in the suggestion box in Rome!
I found I was going to the 8pm Mass in my wonderful church a lot, largely because there was no music (which I love well enough at any other time), but then one day our Pastor got a friend to take on that Mass with his piano. Thank God it wasn’t a folk singer with a tamborine! The guy is pretty good, though it took some getting used to. I had written a letter to the Pastor saying I missed having no music at the one Mass that hadn’t had it, and he said that the Mass was meant to be a celebration (in that it is a group experience, though why this means music I am not sure) and to have music incorporated. I had not known that. I should find his note to look at exact words. I hope I haven’t miscommunicated them but bottom line, the piano was staying.
I try to asuage my aggravation and tell myself it’s a test and I shouldn’t be so concerned about it anyway. But again, I have to keep focusing on worship instead of it just happening for an hour straight and being in the zone.
I understand liturgical preferences, but to blame these “abuses” for not feeling a spirit of transcendence seems a bit much. Sorry, don’t buy it.
Neither do I. The feelings (or lack thereof) are not the cause, but the symptom. The cause is 40 years of attempting to make Mass more personally edifying rather than about worship.