"Truly, it is the indescribable sweetness of contemplation which you give to those who love you. In this you have shown the tenderness of your charity, that when I had no being you made me; and when I strayed away from you, you brought me back again to serve you and commanded me to love you." The Imitation of Christ
Last night, however I was going through a St. Joseph's Hand Missal circa 1957 printing. In the introduction, it gave tips on how to dispose oneself properly to following the Mass. SEVERAL times, however it made reference to "THIRTY MINUTES (30)" being assumed to be the norm for Sunday Mass. Fr. Ray on one of his recent posts asked if men perceived the Latin Mass to be more masculine. I added that perhaps some of it was because you *were* in and out of there in relatively short order. Most people attended Mass very early in the morning and tended to avoid the high Mass like the plague because they knew it took a lot longer. [It really was a case of "dang, I overslept, remind me to kick myself in the rear, I will get stuck with all that singing....and an extra half hour....]
Anyway, I jokingly said that perhaps men liked it more because it got them down and "outta there" in plenty of time for the football games on TV.
The reason I ask is that, if it was, the emphasis would be on the fact that Mass really should last 30 minutes, and not the 20 minutes that some Irish priests used to manage.
A few years ago, I went to Knock on a Parish Pilgrimage (different parish, different PP). The Sacristan commented on how very long our Mass had been... 25 minutes, Novus Ordo...
I've also been at a NO Mass said by an Irish priest which took all of 18 minutes. I timed him...
Wow. 18 minutes for NO! That must be a record, even if a weekday Mass. The only time I've had occasion to do that in a NO was when occasionally I was in college and a visiting priest would want to say a more or less private Mass and only I was present as server and to do the responses. I'd say even then it took about 20, but then I wasn't clocking him. My mother once timed "speedy Gonzales" Fr. Fromholtzer just pre-vernacular Mass. He came in on a Sunday Mass 17 minutes flat. She did time him.
No, the missal in question was printed in the US it was a St. Jospeh's missal, and still a very nice item to have. Latin on the one side, English the other, And it included all the prayers and responses. The back has all the epistles and readings etc.
The dialogue Mass introduced in the late 40s or early 50s was the first Mass I was conscious of. I KNOW that as a rule of thumb we didn't attend the high Mass very often...ONLY if for whatever reason everyone overslept long on a Sunday...which wasn't often! Mom was a bit claustrophobic ... and because she also did not like to sit up front [where there's always room!] sat in the back by the door. When you do that, everyone wants to sit by the door. So to avoid a crowd back there. She'd hit the 6:30 Mass or 7:00 if she could - the priest barely being awake himself wasn't in a talkative mood for a long sermon. Dad would take me a bit later if I hadn't gone with mom, but we'd almost never hit that high Mass. Me being frustrated not being able to see zip (that did bother me) but I always thought the Latin was kinda cool! [That wouldn't have given me the problem!) In, out, light the candle(s)! Home in time for lunch and football.
I laughed like a drain. My favourite bit has to be "Now with 50% less Bugnini" !
I found this fantastic, especially the way everything is edited!
ReplyDeleteVery funny!
ReplyDeleteLast night, however I was going through a St. Joseph's Hand Missal circa 1957 printing. In the introduction, it gave tips on how to dispose oneself properly to following the Mass. SEVERAL times, however it made reference to "THIRTY MINUTES (30)" being assumed to be the norm for Sunday Mass. Fr. Ray on one of his recent posts asked if men perceived the Latin Mass to be more masculine. I added that perhaps some of it was because you *were* in and out of there in relatively short order. Most people attended Mass very early in the morning and tended to avoid the high Mass like the plague because they knew it took a lot longer. [It really was a case of "dang, I overslept, remind me to kick myself in the rear, I will get stuck with all that singing....and an extra half hour....]
Anyway, I jokingly said that perhaps men liked it more because it got them down and "outta there" in plenty of time for the football games on TV.
Karen :-D
Karen, was it an Irish Missal?
ReplyDeleteThe reason I ask is that, if it was, the emphasis would be on the fact that Mass really should last 30 minutes, and not the 20 minutes that some Irish priests used to manage.
A few years ago, I went to Knock on a Parish Pilgrimage (different parish, different PP). The Sacristan commented on how very long our Mass had been... 25 minutes, Novus Ordo...
I've also been at a NO Mass said by an Irish priest which took all of 18 minutes. I timed him...
Wow. 18 minutes for NO! That must be a record, even if a weekday Mass. The only time I've had occasion to do that in a NO was when occasionally I was in college and a visiting priest would want to say a more or less private Mass and only I was present as server and to do the responses. I'd say even then it took about 20, but then I wasn't clocking him. My mother once timed "speedy Gonzales" Fr. Fromholtzer just pre-vernacular Mass. He came in on a Sunday Mass 17 minutes flat. She did time him.
ReplyDeleteNo, the missal in question was printed in the US it was a St. Jospeh's missal, and still a very nice item to have. Latin on the one side, English the other, And it included all the prayers and responses. The back has all the epistles and readings etc.
The dialogue Mass introduced in the late 40s or early 50s was the first Mass I was conscious of. I KNOW that as a rule of thumb we didn't attend the high Mass very often...ONLY if for whatever reason everyone overslept long on a Sunday...which wasn't often! Mom was a bit claustrophobic ... and because she also did not like to sit up front [where there's always room!] sat in the back by the door. When you do that, everyone wants to sit by the door. So to avoid a crowd back there. She'd hit the 6:30 Mass or 7:00 if she could - the priest barely being awake himself wasn't in a talkative mood for a long sermon. Dad would take me a bit later if I hadn't gone with mom, but we'd almost never hit that high Mass. Me being frustrated not being able to see zip (that did bother me) but I always thought the Latin was kinda cool! [That wouldn't have given me the problem!) In, out, light the candle(s)! Home in time for lunch and football.
Karen