Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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.

8 comments:

Michele said...

yup, the NO definitely pales in comparison to the Mass of Ages, the Tridentine Mass.

Michele said...

frank and i are trying to find a place to rent that is closer to our church. please pray that we do.

Smiley said...

Once you hear Latin mass there is no turning back. once you have heard the latin mass by the Heralds of the Gosple.....

Here is a link http://www.tvarautos.org.br/

The video is now on the 53rd page and is called dedicaion de Igreja de Nossa Senora do Rosario

(dedication of the church of Our lady of the rosary) it is about 3 hours long. I saw it live on EWTN on a Sunday afternoon. wow

ignorant redneck said...

I love the Ordinary Form at my parish: Smells and bells, chant from the graduale, solemnity, reverence and beauty.

however--given the choice between what i see at most parishes, and th Extraordinary Form, I'd go Extraordinary Form--hands down.

Anonymous said...

I have attended the extraordinary form of the Holy Mass exclusively since the first Sunday of Advent 2007. Expecting my 6th 3 weeks from tomorrow, I opted to attend the vigil to fulfill our Feast of the Assumption obligation, rather than take the girls to Mass at 6:30am the following morning.
We are a bi-ritual parish, our pastor offering the extraordinary form of the Mass three mornings a week and on Sunday afternoon. Saturday morning Mass is the Novus Ordo in Latin. Mon-Fri daily Mass is the Novus Ordo with a Sat eve vigil and two regular Sunday morn Novus Ordo Masses. Our pastor has been saying 12 Masses, regularly, each week since the first Sunday of Advent. As Monday is his 'official' day off, a retired priest in our deanery offers the Novus Ordo Mass on Monday morning.
So, I wanted to sleep until our regular waking time that Friday and not wrestle with two cranky toddlers and three other cranky girls at 8+ mos pregnant that next morning... we went to the Novus Ordo vigil.

I will never make that same mistake again! Sitting in the back pew, not our 'regular' seats, my 4yo started exclaming, quite loudly to be heard above the singing of some novel hymn, "Mom, it's time to LEAVE! See? Everyone is leaving!"... The distribution of Holy Communion was not yet completed but parishioners were filing out by the handfulls. Granted, *some* of them may have had jobs to get to. I can't say for sure. Many of them appeared to be of post-retirement age, however. The chatter that errupted before Father even recessed half way down the main aisle was ear splitting.
No thanks! I'll stick to my quiet Latin Mass any day from now on!

X said...

I was at your parish on Aug. 24 - were you there?

paramedicgirl said...

Angela, I had to work on Sunday the 24th, so I went to Saturday night Mass at St. Patrick's. Next time you are in the city, let me know and I will invite you over!

Joe of St. Thérèse said...

EF rules hands down! Unfortunately, although my parish is great in offering the TLM on Sundays where I serve many times.

Although low Mass is a chore for me, I'll take it over the abuse filled Masses at many places in LA. (Although if i had my way All Masses would be sung, just without the higher degrees of Solemnity on weekdays). It has come to my understanding that Low Masses were for "private" Masses and somehow creeped their way in. Since the Missa Normativa is the Sung Mass. :)