Anita Moore has
summed up, perfectly, my reaction when I first discovered the Extraordinary Form of Mass - I felt as if I had been being fed dry bread and water when, all the time, there was a fabulous feast available, if only I'd known about it. I was pretty angry when I realised that the Mass had been stripped of all the little "extras" which made it Catholic - this was when I first understood my father's outraged comment after he'd attended a
Novus Ordo Mass: "It's all turned Protestant!"
Anyway, go on over and read Anita's excellent post.
Thank you for posting this, and for the link.
ReplyDeleteThe EF Mass I attend most often is a Low Mass. This is the spiritual highlight of my week; perhaps I should regard the OF Sunday Mass as that, but there it is.
The quiet workmanship of the traditional Low Mass is beautiful to me. To adapt the words of St John the Baptist, the priest decreases, and Christ increases. No more so than when the Sacred Host is revealed at the Elevation.
My father likewise. Just imagine that for years and years the only EF Mass (I knew about) in London was relegated to a room at the Great Eastern Hotel.
ReplyDeleteI feel unfaltering gratitude to the LMS for keeping the flame alight.
Much as I appreciate the solemnity of an EF High Mass, I don't think you can beat the quiet, spiritual simplicity of a Low Mass.
Thanks for the link, Mac!
ReplyDeleteI also love Low Mass. I know there are those who think Low Mass is a liturgical abomination; but quite honestly, I think those people need to put a lid on it and be thankful they have the E.F. Mass at all. The reality is that there are still plenty of places where you can't attend the Mass of tradition; and there are others where you can, but Father simply does not have the personnel necessary to offer Missa Cantata or solemn High Mass. I'll take the "abomination" over guitars and tambourines any day.