Palm Sunday TLM at Assumption Grotto in Detroit

8 Responses to Palm Sunday TLM at Assumption Grotto in Detroit

1. Vox says:

   17 March 2008 at 7:13 AM

   Father Z,

   Yesterday, at the EF, the Passion was chanted by the three priests from the Gospel side of the Altar, but they faced away from the Altar (to the left or in this case, north). I have wondered about this…and then I think I understood the symbolism–that it would be a blasphemy to read the Passion of Our Lord facing His Altar…an abomination of sorts.

   Would this be a reasonable interpretation?

   Could you provide some comment on this?
2. Michael says:

   17 March 2008 at 7:30 AM

   The gospel is always read facing north at a Solemn High Mass. This is a very old tradition. In the early century of Christianity, when Africa and most of the Medterranean had already been converted, the pagan tribes to the north were the focus of the Church’s missionary efforts. The deacon chants the gospel to “the people,” but the people to the north, to the unconverted parts of the world. This posture reminds the congregation that they are not a closed community, that there are people who have never heard the gospel. The north is always the darkest side of the Church. This is why at a low mass, the priest turns slightly to the north when he reads the gospel. Many monastic communities have dispensed with this tradition adn chant the gospel and epistle facing the people. In medieval cathedrals, old testament saints were reserved for the dark side of the church while the saints to come after Christ were portrayed on the windows of the south side. If you ever get a chance to visit the older churches in Rome (Santa Sabina, San Clemente, etc.) you can see the ambos on teh north and south side of the choir once used for chanting the readings.

   From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

   “The Gospel was sung from the ambo (ambon), a pulpit generally halfway down the church, from which it could be best heard by every one (Cabrol, Dict. d’archéol. chrét. et de liturgie, Paris, 1907, s.v. “Ambon”, I, 1330-47). Often there were two ambos: one for the other lessons, on the left (looking from the altar); the other, for the Gospel, on the right. From here the deacon faced south, as the “Ordo Rom. II” says (Mabillon, Musæum italic., II, 46), noting that the men generally gather there. Later, when the ambo had disappeared, the deacon turned to the north. Micrologus (De missa, ix) notices this and explains it as an imitation of the celebrant’s position at the altar at low Mass — one of the ways in which that service has reacted on to high Mass. The Byzantine Church still commands the deacon to sing the Gospel from the ambo (e.g. Brightman, op. cit., 372), though with them, too, it has generally become only a theoretical place in the middle of the floor.”
3. Diane says:

   17 March 2008 at 9:24 AM

   Thanks for the link Fr. Z.

   Just as an FYI there are three total photo posts. Scroll to the bottom of the link given by Fr. Z and you will find links for the pre-Mass photos, including pics from the sacristy and sanctuary. The other link at the bottom covers the blessing of palms in the extraordinary form and the procession which followed. Not seen are the many people behind the priests in procession.

   I will add that this was the most majestic experience on Palm Sunday I have ever experienced. There are times when I’m photographing liturgical events like these that it is hard not to get choked up.
4. Tom says:

   17 March 2008 at 9:31 AM

   Imagine had the Pope offer the TLM yesterday…ah…to dream.
5. Tom says:

   17 March 2008 at 9:32 AM

   Imagine had the Pope offered the TLM yesterday…ah…to dream.
6. Joshua says:

   17 March 2008 at 11:01 AM

   The rubrics actually have the deacon, on the North side, versus populum in a Solemn Mass. BUT, almost anywhere they in fact faced north and this custom was recognised by Rome.
7. Jonathan Bennett says:

   17 March 2008 at 1:10 PM

   The first picture appears have been taken during the Introit, and the red frontal is still present, but the second photo of the elevation shows a violet frontal. When was it changed?
8. Michael says:

   17 March 2008 at 3:23 PM

   Joshua,
   And Fortescue/O’Connell says this rubric is NOT to be taken litterally in practice.

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