From a reader…
QUAERITUR:
My autistic teenage son was recently confirmed and received his first communion from Cardinal Dolan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Although I’ve lived in and around NYC for more than 30 years, I realized I knew next to nothing about the Cardinal’s biography. His entry on Wikipedia (I know) states, among other things, that “He would…pretend to celebrate mass as a child [in the 1950’s].” This used to be a somewhat common, or at least not rare, practice from things I’ve previously read. The fact that such child’s play is now all but unimaginable is, I believe, noteworthy and illustrates a fundamental distinction between pre and post-conciliar liturgical forms and praxis. How would today’s child pretend to offer Mass? Would he start off with a few jokes or anecdotes? How would he decide among options A, B and C? I’ve not developed this idea beyond what’s written here but again, there’s seems to something profound that one form of the liturgy is amenable to a child’s imitation while the other is not. Play, after all, is one of the primary means that children learn how to be adults.
St. Thomas Aquinas likens worship to play, since both activities are engaged in for their own sake.
I see no problem with small children playing Mass. As they get to the age of reason, however they should, even with some prompting, eventually conclude that they should be doing something else. Parents ought to be watching carefully how and what their children do at every age. If a child is getting older and starts to really think he is saying Mass, that is a deeper problem.
I don’t know what to say about your autistic son playing Mass. That’s a special circumstance that I cannot gauge.
Also, girls should not do this.
Bottom line: Provided everything is done with the respect and care, it is okay for little kids to “play Mass”, although … I can’t imagine it is too fun to play “Novus Ordo”.
Speaking of that, the questioner added…
Speaking of NYC, I’ve always likened the differences between the new and old liturgical forms to those between the new and old Penn Stations. As to the former, some of the bones of the old station still remain but for the most part, new Penn Station would be largely unrecognizable to a passenger from the 40’s or 50’s. The new station still fulfills most of the functions of the old (one can still catch the 5:15 to Oyster Bay). No one, however, draws any inspiration from the new station. Rather, as one art historian is often quoted as saying, “Through Pennsylvania Station one entered the city like a god.” That though has never occurred to me during my many trips in and out of the station over the years.
Penn Station was magnificent. I suppose the gradual shift away from trains to cars prompted some to think that Penn Station was a waste of space. Alas, that was a time of utilitarianism and the result was hideous. In years past during my frequent trips to NYC I often had supper with a group after saying Mass at Tracks. Penn Station was ghastly. I understand that in the last few years some changes have been made with the new train hall that expanded to the old Post Office, that Tracks has reopened somewhere and that there is a LIRR expansion at Grand Central Terminal. But as far as Penn Station is concerned, I can’t keep myself from thinking about fixing up the Novus Ordo with elements of the Vetus Ordo: yeah, okay, it’s a little better…. but ….
Loading ...
I like the Penn Station analogy, it works amazingly well, but I would like to share the one I cam up with several years ago.
Vetus Ordo: Coca-Cola
Protestant services: Pepsi (a poor imitation)
Novus Ordo: New Coke (which tastes like Pepsi)
“Extraordinary Form”: Coca-Cola Classic (the original but rebranded)
Pre-1955 Holy Week: Mexican Coke (it’s the true original without the high-fructose corn syrup, which is Bugnini’s influence)
Remember the uproar over Coca-Cola changing their formula back in the 1980’s? If only we Catholics had the same reaction to the Church changing our formulas.
Girls used to assist from the ‘pews” at play Masses, but yeah, that is usually it.
I remember as a really little girl, playing at being a nun or being Our Lady; but I really did not know what to do, except putting something over my head. It was an impoverishment, even at the time.
Let me add to the discussion about boys playing Mass. I attend the TLM. My grandson and his family go to a reverent NO at the same parish (ad orientem, beautiful vestments, chant, Latin). Before he was 2 he began “reading” the Gospel and moved onto doing processions and the Mass. He carried an old copy of the Magnificat around the house. He was gifted a child’s Mass kit and I sewed up a couple of fiddleback chasubles, alb, maniples, stoles for his 2nd birthday. One of his favorite videos is a procession with Cardinal Burke. He’s seen the Latin Mass on video many times but never in person. Our parish enrolls the altar boys (& men) in the St. Stephen’s Guild. My grandson has been wanting to be a “real” altar boy since he was 2.
A few observations. Our parish is beautiful full of stained glass, marble, statues, etc. But not only is it beautiful, it’s different. Something happens there that’s important. Even as a child he senses this. And he knows it’s important to his parents and grandparents. And he knows it’s connected to the rosary they say at night and the nightly prayers and novenas. It’s all of a piece.
Can children get that from a NO Mass with a priest acting as MC in a building that looks like a gymnasium? Maybe but I think it’s probably harder and probably impossible if it’s not reinforced by family devotions at home.
My siblings frequently play Mass and build “altars” around the house (which, I must say, they’re good at and it’s nice to have for the family Rosary). For the record, my family and I attend a Latin Mass so when my siblings play Mass, it’s the traditional Mass. My siblings (who are past the age of reason) often use playing Mass as a means to practice being altar boys and to memorize the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar and the like. In that sense I don’t have as big an issue with it, though there are certainly better ways of practicing.
What I do have a big issue with is the “Eucharistic Adoration” my siblings do. Kneeling before and showing reverence to a piece of bread (which they pretend is the Eucharist) is weird, and borderline idolatry. I understand what they are pretending, but at Mass or Adoration when our Lord actually is present under the appearances of bread and wine, I can see how it would be very confusing to children how we have what appears to be the same thing at home, but it’s “not actually Jesus”. A child isn’t going to want to take something seriously at church which seems to be just a play thing at home. That’s why I think that instead of playing Mass, take children to Mass instead.
I personally take (public/family) prayer very seriously. I like it done solemnly, prayerfully, properly, and without innovations or cringe translations. “Playing” prayer seems to dramatically reduce its solemness when actual prayer happens. Maybe just go pray instead of “playing prayer”. Teach children what prayer is, and don’t make light of it by letting them play that which should be kept most solemn.
This reminds me of a set of paper dolls from the 40s, with priest, altar boy, ornaments, altar, etc, that I was sure I had learned about in your blog first, but can’t find it. It seemed like an interesting catechetical resource.
https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/10/an-ef-education-resource-catholic-paper.html
I still have the pdf somewhere.
I forgot to mention that a lot of female saints’ biographies and autobiographies tend to mention them playing at being martyrs or missionaries. (Or missionary martyrs.)
I think the traditional “missionary” play sounded like an extension of the typical “raising a baby” and “teaching school” girl pretend games, except that it necessitated traveling through the far corners of the yard, woods, or adjacent empty land. It was also apparently more tolerated by younger siblings, who would rather be junior missionaries or hostile pagans, rather than perpetual babies or students.
I’ve seen YouTube videos of boys playing Mass. I mean contemporary boys. But come to think of it, they are from TLM families!
And I love the Coca Cola analogy! Give me Mexican Coke any day…
At best, the Novus Ordo is like a really good cookout. Tasty nutritious food, good libations, family & friends, kids playing cornhole, whiffle ball, and catching fireflies.
The Ordinariate form is like a meal at a really fine restaurant: Excellent five star food food and wine, great service, dignified atmosphere.
The TLM is Babette’s Feast.
Pingback: TVESDAY EARLY-MORNING EDITION - BIG PULPIT