The Mass

Browsing around the internet tonight, I see the Remnant has a feature article on the Church I attend. One thing it doesn't mention, is that we also have a mission parish in Abbotsford, where the Low Mass is held on Sunday afternoons. I'm geographically in the middle of the two, so I often go there. Unless I'm working, then I attend Mass at whatever Catholic Church I can get to. That means attending the Ordinary Rite - the Novus Ordo- and sometimes that is not always a good thing, but it does allow me to keep the third commandment.

Last Sunday, I had to go to an evening Mass, since I worked until 7 PM. ( I routinely work 12 hour shifts). I checked the website of the Archdiocese to see what Churches held evening Masses and I found three, so I naturally picked the closest one. St Helen's. The Church is huge, very modern, with high-gloss marble floors and tastefully decorated with more than a few life-sized statues, and beautiful stations of the cross.

The Mass however was a disappointment. First, there were girl altar boys and a female reader in the sanctuary. There was no homily, though Father did do a brief synopsis of the Gospel reading. (Unlike the US, Canada has refused to follow the GIRM, which states "There is to be a homily on Sundays and holy days of obligation at all Masses that are celebrated with the participation of a congregation; it may not be omitted without a serious reason").

There must have been thirty to forty people present, not enough to warrant the use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, but still, two women were put to use giving out the Sacred Body of Christ at Communion time.

To many who don't have access to the Latin Mass on a regular basis, these may seem like ordinary occurrences, but they have become very foreign to me. You see, once you have been treated to the sacred beauty, solemnity and holiness of the Extraordinary Rite, as I have been for the last year, the Ordinary Form of the Mass pales in comparison and comes up wanting.