What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Latin is not, as some claim, tooo haaard for parishes.

From a priest reader:

I’ve been thinking about the new translation of the Novus Ordo.  Suddenly, all of the old music will be out, of no use.  I wondered what to do about it, when it struck me that this is the time to teach the parish Gregorian Chant.  We will begin with the Sanctus this Lent and continue slowly making additions until the new translation comes; we’ll be prepared.  They won’t be adjusting to everything all at once; and in some sense will be very well prepared to accept the new translation!
 
I shared this with the chair of the diocesan liturgical commission, and he thought it was a wonderful idea.

I would add… start forming a schola cantorum.

Go to this Orthodox priest’s blog and make his stats spike like nothing he has ever seen before!  Freak him out a little.

You can do it. 

Everyone!

It’ll just take a moment. 

An alert priest reader sent me this:

In the Washington Post’s annual "What’s In and What’s Out"
list for the new year, the list for 2010 includes:

What’s out:  Latin fusion
What’s in:  Latin Mass

(scroll about 45% down the page, just past the pictures of Emily Blunt and Rosamund Pike)

WaPo say we got the BigMo.

 

Brick by brick.

 

A priest reader of WDTPRS writes asking:

Dear Fr. Z,
 
How can we get our experience of heterodox sisters to the congregation rightly investigating these women?

The best way I can think of is to write directly to the one appointed to coordinate the visitation, Mother Mary Clare Millea, ASCJ.  They have a contact form here.

As in any instance of making concerns known to ecclesiastical authority, whether it is about liturgical abuse or heterodox preaching, etc., follow the tips for writing I posted HERE.

Keep in mind especially the need to back up what you say with some kind of documentation…. things they printed and distributed, screenshots of their websites with links, sound or video recordings, letters they wrote, etc.

Also… and this is important... also for the love of God also write about the good things you see in some communities!

The Apostolic Visitation is not merely about sticking it to the weird wicca wymym who are spinning out of control.  It is to access what the state of the question is in the United States.  That means also accessing the good communities which are faithful and strong.

There are some very beautiful photos at Godzdogz of a TLM celebrated at Blackfriars, London for the feast of the English Martyrs.

Here is a sample.

From a priest reader who works in a seminary and is involved with helping seminarians learn how to say Mass (edited):

... I find it helpful to know the historic reasons behind even small gestures at Mass.  [...]
 
Thus, I would like to prepare to pass along this wisdom by studying the Mass and absorbing, as much as I can, the reasons that we do what we do up there – so that the men are competent in, and devoted to saying the black/doing the red because they understand whence they come – and I find that if one wants to understand the parts/gestures/prayers/sequence of the novus ordo, he must study the TLM.
 
I read recently The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Fr. Nicholas Gihr, which was superb.  Might you have other book suggestions, either for me in preparation, or for the students, so as to understand the NO by understanding the TLM?

I haven’t read Gihr, but I have heard of it.

I am pleased that Father is taking this approach.  As young men learn the older forms or learn about them, they will have a better grasp of who they are as priests and what they do at the altar.

I think they could benefit from access to Jungmann’s The Mass of the Roman Rite, which will be in the library, but should be on all of their shelves without question.  It is a scholar’s approach.   More accessible is, perhaps, Romano Guardini’s little book Meditations before Mass. 

Also, have them look at the works of Klaus Gamber about ad orientem worship.

 

Perhaps some readers will offer other titles.

As I have said before, when the younger clergy learn the older form of Mass, it changes who they are and how they say both forms. 

This is the terrible nightmare of the aging liberals.  The biological solution is pushing them aside and bringing up these younger priests who have a healthier and more integrated vision of our liturgical worship.

On that note, I want to share a  nice brick by brick note from a priest, Fr. Ryan Hilderbrand in Montgomery, IN.  I asked him if I should "anonymize" his note and he said I could post away.  My emphases and comments.

I’m dropping a quick note to give you further hope in the new priests of our age. I am Fr. Ryan Hilderbrand, and I was ordained to the priesthood on 6 June 2009. My first Mass in the ordinary form was that evening. The next morning, I was the celebrant of a Solemn High Mass in the extraordinary form; in effect, this was my second "first" Mass, and my pastor billed it as such. The people of the parish had requested such a Mass, and one of the best things about it was the fact that, with a few exceptions, this was entirely an "in-house" job – the servers were trained for this Mass, and the parish choir chanted. The deacon and subdeacon were classmates of mine from Mundelein, and the assistant priest was a good friend of mine from the south side of Chicago. Please find two photos, attached, of the Mass. Credits to my brother-in-law, Mr. Richard W. Morris, Jr. [Excellent.  I think the work of specialist groups is important, but the real work will be done when diocesan priests and seminarians make the provisions of summorum Pontificum and the vision of Pope Benedict their own.]

My own reflection on the Mass is not particularly deep. I remember thinking ahead of time being afraid of dropping something, turning left instead of right, &c. However, the nerves stopped as soon as the "Asperges" was finished. Assuming the grace of the Holy Spirit, of course, I believe this was because I realized quickly that I didn’t have to "act," that the people’s eyes weren’t "on" me, but "with" me. The old joke is that people go to first Masses and to NASCAR races for the same reasons – to see the accidents. When the "actor" feeling dissolved with ad orientem worship, all of the nerves went along with it. I remember PRAYING the Mass that morning.

Incidentally, I had a "first" Spanish-language Mass in the OF that afternoon. We didn’t bother to take down the setup for the EF Solemn Mass, so that was done "ad orientem" as well. No one complained! Peace!

Brick by brick.

Thanks, Father, for that great note.

Pope Benedict’s vision, his "Marshall Plan", will not be implemented in a day or a year or even a few years. 

But it is happening.

This "Marshall Plan" revolves around a revitalization of Holy Church’s worship. 

To this end, Pope Benedict gave us Summorum Pontificum and other tools and gifts, such as his own example.

I am pleased that more and more people have the opportunity to participate at Masses celebrated with the older, traditional Missale Romanum.  These experiences will help also to correct the way the newer form of Mass is celebrated.

There are some institutes and fraternities of priests dedicated to this cause.

But what I think is really needed in dioceses, first and foremost, is not so much some specialized group to come in and do what other can’t do.  What is truly necessary is that diocesan priests and seminarians take charge of this vision.  Diocesan priests and seminarians, ideally with the full support of the local bishop, must make this project their own.  All these other groups play their good and necessary role, but when the diocesan clergy take up this challenge – and it will happen, folks – this "Marshall Plan" will really pick up speed. 

With that preamble, I share this from a reader in St. Louis:

As someone who enjoys your blog very much, I wanted to share with you some pictures of a Solemn Pontifical High Mass that took place in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 19. It was celebrated by Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus.

What I think was most remarkable about this seven-month project was that it was completely organized and executed from scratch by diocesan priests and seminarians, in an oratory that was not designed for this sort of big liturgy. It was a wonderful experience to see how beautiful and prayerful a Liturgy a relatively small group enthusiastic and dedicated diocesan men can organize.

I think all of us that took part in the Mass were left with great hope for the future. I hope that, at the least, this Mass can serve to inspire others to save the liturgy. The resources are out there, it just takes zeal and love of the Church.

A couple photos:

From priest reader:

I just started praying the usus antiquior low mass after a year of preparation (of latin and the rubrics).

Question:  When may I opt to say a missae defunctorum?  When may I not?  In other words, may a missae defunctorm be chosen over a 3rd class feast, etc.?

First and foremost, thank you for learning the older form, traditional form of Mass.  I am always happy to learn that another priest is not ignorant of our common Latin Rite.  Kudos to you.  I am also hoping that you are young, so that you can say this form of Mass for many many years for many many people.

There are those special occasions as in, for example, when people die or it is the anniversary of their death.  However, I think what you are aiming at is really the daily Requiem Mass.

The rules for these daily Requiem Masses are along the lines of the rubrics for votive Masses.

A Requiem is of the 2nd class on the day of death (or getting news of the death) or on the day of burial.  That’s the Missa in die obitus seu depositionis defunctorum. It is of the 3rd class on the third, seventh, and thirtieth day after the death or burial.

A "daily" Requiem is 4th class and can be used on ferial days of the 4th class.

So… tomorrow 16 September is the Feast of Ss. Cornelius and Cyprian.  It is a 3rd class feast.  But the day after tomorrow, 17 September, is a "dies non", a 4th class feria.  You can say the "daily" Mass for the Dead, the Missa quotidiana defunctorum.

I hope that helps.

And remember that there are some differences in the Requiem Mass.  You exclude the Iudica me at the beginning, and do not bless the water.  Kiss the altar at the end, but don’t give the final blessing before the Last Gospel.  Leave off the gloria after washing your fingers and exclude the first of the three private prayers before your Communion.  The Agnus Dei is a little different and your say Requiescat in pace for the dismissal.

So, Father, put on those nice black vestments.  Put those unbleached candles on the altar and fire ‘em up!

From a priest reader with my emphases and comments:

Really appreciate your blog. Priests like you give us other priests a lot of encouragement to keep working to bring more reverence to the liturgy. Thank you so so so much.  May God Bless you.  [You are welcome!]
 
Long story short.  In my last parish over a three year period I introduced an EF mass offered each Sunday.  Started using the altar rail for communion on the tongue.  Started to celebrate the OF ad orientem.  Started using more latin in the OF, e.g., gloria, credo, canon, pater noster.  Helped to work with the choir to learn Gregorian chant which we added to the celebration of our Sunday Liturgies.  The celebration of the Mass ad orientem made the biggest difference in my experience.  [The eminent liturgical scholar Klaus Gamber, who had such an influence on Joseph Ratzinger, opined that the turning of altars was the single most damaging change made after the Council.] The altar boys loved it and they immediately became more serious and reverent.  Communion at the altar rail also made a big difference.  And then because of the complaints of a few parishioners I was ordered by the bishop to cease and desist. [Stopped.. doing things that were perfectly legitimate, btw.  But … it is always a few vinegary types, isn’t it.] I stopped, lost all credibility with the parishioners and was very discouraged for a few weeks. 
 
Now I’m in another parish and I have made a few little changes.  Like wanting to have male altar servers.  And the complaints are starting to add up.  People really need to pray for their priests!  I guess I’m not looking for any answers but it really does feel difficult sometimes trying to do what the Lord wants us to do. [Especially when the bishop leaves you to twist in the wind.]

Father… don’t be discouraged. 

The tide really is turning.

I have received a great deal of feedback by e-mail from readers concerning my comments on the funeral of the late Edward Kennedy, pro-abortion Catholic Senator.

Most of the feedback was what you might expect: we should celebrate Kennedy’s life, you people are so mean, how dare you criticize, you are just a mean stupid Republican, blah blah blah. 

However, there are been some very thoughtful comments as well.  Here is one, from a parish priest, with my emphases and comments.

Dear Fr Z,
 
Thank you for your blog which I have found to be very informative.  As a diocesan priest I would like to make a comment about the Funeral for Ted Kennedy.
 
I think that is was completely proper and canonically correct to offer Holy Mass for the repose of his soul.  [This next comment is hard to deny…] If the Catholic leaders did not discipline him during his lifetime it would have been a very cheap shot to do it after his death.  We pray for all the faithful departed.  He was a national figure and so the Funeral was televised.  As I said I see no problem with this.  [Well… I still do.  But I see his point.]
 
My problem is that it was not a Catholic Funeral. This was not a Funeral.  It did not follow the Novus Ordo.  The whole "celebration" was focused on Ted Kennedy and what a great man he was.  It [This is important…] seemed that he was not in need of salvation, forgiveness, mercy, grace, etc.  That would not have been proper if he were had been Mother Teresa herself.  Catholic Funerals are not about the person’s past achievements.  Since Holy Mass is part of it, first of all, the Funeral is about worship of God.  Secondly, it is a profession of our Catholic Faith.  [And this is why I still have a problem with the public nature of the funeral: the Senator’s record concerning abortion.] Thirdly, Holy Mass is offered for the repose of the deceased immortal soul and asking God’s mercy on him.  Fourthly, we pray for the consolation of those who mourn.  Ted Kennedy’s Funeral did not even follow even the guidelines of the Archdioceise of Boston.  [That is a problem, isn’t it.] It was badly planned and poorly carried out.
 
It was poorly planned because whoever directed the planning had no idea of what a Catholic Funeral is about.  Readings are not chosen to highlight the deceased achievements nor because they were his/her favorite’s passages.  [If I recall, the first reading was a standard selection, but the responsorial psalm and Gospel resounded with irony.] They are chosen to speak to us of the teachings of the Word of God regarding the mystery of death, forgiveness, and eternal life.  They are chosen to give hope that God’ mercy which is undeserved for any of us, may be given to this deceased person.  The Prayers of the Faithful are a time to pray for all these intentions not to push agendas. [Those "intercessions" were perhaps the worse part of the whole thing.]  Eulogies are not allowed.  A simple short reflection by a family member may be given before the Final Commendation which I personal wished had never been permitted.  The place for all of this is some Memorial at another time and another place than a church.
 
The Liturgy was very poorly executed.  You could hear the directions being given over the open microphones.  ("where is the pall?"  etc.)
 
This was not a Catholic Funeral.
 
Worst of all from a parish priest’s perspective is that now that millions have seen this, this is the type of Funeral they want. [Remember that the Code of Canon Law says that we should not have a public funeral if there is danger of scandal.  I think it was entirely possible that this funeral did just that… in more than one respect.]  It because impossible to say no as it is a difficult time for the family and they say the Cardinal of Boston do this.  It makes the parish priest look like he is being unreasonable [Exactly!] and not following the Church for his own agenda.  I have been to too many Catholic Funerals where an important person has died, or a family member of a priest, or a religious has died, and the very people who will not allow this for their parishioners break every norm.  (In my diocese for example, priests have the choir sing the "Gloria" at their parent’s Funeral because we are suppose to be joyful.  [Or, God forbid, "Danny Boy", or similar.] Of course, the bishop and his Liturgical Director encourage this.) 
 
I agreed with your question.  When did we stop praying for the deceased at a funeral?

Perhaps when we gave up Black vestments and the Dies irae.

Didn’t Pius XII warn against the loss of black vestments?

Some past entries of relevance…

• Question
• The Exceptional Catholic
• Fr. Sirico: Sen. Kennedy and also cultural Catholics who “relinquish the substance of the faith if it gets in the way”
• America writer attacks critics of Sen. Kennedy: don’t mention his abortion record
• Comments in the press about Sen. Kennedy’s passing: the abortion issue does surface
• NCR’s Sr. Fiedler gushes over the death of the late pro-abortion Catholic Senator

We have turned the tide on the nugatory poll about women’s ordination on the website of the Cincinnati newspaper.  GO HERE FOR MY POST.

When I found the poll, 75% of respondents thought the Church should ordain women. 

"HA!" quoth I.  "We’ll see."

We have had fun with polls lately, some scientific and some not so scientific.

I like the scientific poll of CARA at Georgetown University which found that, of Catholics with an opinion, 2 to 1 favor having a TLM available.

I like the WDTPRS poll which shows that a huge majority of people would prefer black vestments for their own funerals. 

In the meantime, I had an e-mail from great Fr. George Rutler of Our Saviour Church in Manhattan.  He wrote:

Thank you for the fun of frustrating those silly pollsters. They have it coming to them.  Just for them to query people about whether the Church should ordain women shows a theological ignorance akin to asking if the US Congress should repeal the Law of Gravity. [LOL!] I should like to see the shocked look of the pollsters. I wonder how the editors of US Catholic explained the results of their poll on the Usus Antiquior.

Remember that risible article in US Catholic? That had a poll too, come to mention it. 

When I found it, that poll was pretty much even-steven.

But that was before you lot went to work on it.

Now?



Now … not so even-steven.

You people are the greatest!

From a priest reader:

I am a priest in my 60’s I remember serving the Tridentine mass. I am interested in celebrating mass ad orientem but I was wondering how. I have some questions.

1.    At the beginning of the mass do you face the people with the dialogue, “The Lord be with you.” And the penitential rite.  What about “The Lord be with you.” at the other times do you face the people then?
2.    What about the readings, are they done in the usual way.
3.    Again what about the dialogue prior to the Preface. Do you turn towards the people?
4.     Do you celebrate mass in a low or loud tone of voice so that everyone can hear you.

Each Memorial day we have a beautiful altar at our cemetery, and we set up this rickety old card table. I would prefer to say mass at the altar but I would have to do so ad orientem.

Thanks for the questions.

I recommend that, if you begin at the "chair" rather than directly at the altar (as of old) you might face toward the liturgical "north" for the open dialogue, perhaps with a slight turn to the congregation for the "Dominus vobiscum" and turn to the altar for the Collect.

If another person is doing the first reading, etc. sit.  Do the Gospel from the ambo.  In other words, they are done in the usual way.

At the altar do everything ad orientem turning to the congregation for the "Orate fratres" and the "Ecce Agnus Dei" and the final blessing, etc.  Don’t turn to the people for the Preface dialogue.  Don’t turn around with the host or chalice at the consecration.  Just elevate them still facing ad orientem.

In the Novus Ordo the Canon or Eucharistic Prayer is to be said aloud.  Simply use the level of voice indicated in the rubrics.

I applaud your desire to celebrate Mass ad orientem!

From a priest reader:

I’d like to point out a discrepancy, with the hopes that your wide outreach might bring about a clarification.

The discrepancy concerns the closing date for the “Year for Priests”.  The Holy Father says [LINK] that the Year “will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010”, that solemnity being the same one on which it began (the Sacred Heart, which in 2009 was June 19).  In 2010, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart will fall on June 11, 2010.

However, the Apostolic Penitentiary as far back as April 25, 2009 says [LINK] that the closing date will be June 19, 2010 (a year from the DATE of the opening).  This date has been picked up by the USCCB [LINK].

Meanwhile, the Congregation for Clergy’s site [LINK] gives the closing date as June 11, 2010.

Two dicasteries of the Holy See which are central to this special Year seem to have different dates.

I suspect that the correct date is 11 June, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, since that is what the Congregation for Clergy says and it is what the Holy Father intimated in "on the same solemnity".

If that is so, then the USCCB has the wrong date.

I hope we can get some clarity soon.

From a priest reader:

Quick question with regard to GIRM #281.

"Holy Communion has a more complete as a sign when it is received under both kinds.  For in this manner of reception a fuller light shines on the sign of the Eucharist banquet." 
 
I want to promote reverence for the Holy Eucharist through such things as receiving communion on the tongue at the altar rail with the use of a communion plate.  I realize people may receive standing on the hand but nevertheless I am encouraging them to receive kneeling and on the tongue and most do so. 
 
Should I be working to offer communion under both species? 

I am of two minds on this.

First, when you involve both kinds you increase dramatically the possibility of unintentional profanation of the Eucharist.  From that point of view, I would say no.

On the other hand, the GIRM is right.  Communion under both kinds is a more complete sign.  Over the centuries, however, it was not necessary to use both kinds because people were properly catechized.  Frankly, I don’t see the need for this with great frequency or with large numbers.  I suspect that in some places, both kinds were introduced precisely to be able to get large numbers of lay people "doing things". 

If you decide you would want to use both kind and also promote kneeling and eliminating Communion in the hand, perhaps you can introduce Communion by intinction.  This automatically eliminates Communion in the hand and also uses both kinds. 

Practically speaking this might be a problem if your parish has no other clerics for the distribution of Communion.  If you want to introduce kneeling for intincted Communion, which sounds like a great idea to me, a Communion rail would be really helpful.

I know a few priests who have introduced Communion under both kinds with intinction so as to get rid of Communion in the hand and provide the fuller sign.  They have had good results.

Perhaps people at parishes with Communion under both kinds using intinction can chime in here with information about how it is handled.

I suspect there was an extended period of parish-wide catechesis before this was introduced.