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Wednesday, 11 April 2007

Metamorphosis of an altar

To makeup for my inability to post today, here is one of the most entertaining videos I have seen for a long time. There are so many good ideas here...

Watch it to the end to see the "before" and "after" stills.



H/T New Liturgical Movement

14 comments:

Eduardo said...

Hello Father,
I stumbled upon your website, and like it very much.
I'm out in California, and one thing I've noticed recently is that many younger people seem more receptive to traditional elements of worship, as opposed, perhaps, to some in their parent's generation. I was curious what your thoughts were, and how things appear in Britain?
Thank you very much,
Eduardo

Edoardo Albert said...

A wonderful example of how much can be done with how little. Does anyone know what the music playing in the background was?

George said...

Brilliant! Spiritually uplifting and truely INSPIRATIONAL!

Glory be to God.

Tori said...

Wonderful!

Clericus said...

Does anyone else think that this altar is rather over-done? I like the frontal, but why not just place a crucifix and the "big six" on the altar as it is? That is the situation in Le Barroux. Placing various little platforms and boxes seems a bit ridiculous. There is a thing called noble simplicity. Not all the recommendations of Vat II are bad!

Ann said...

Love it!
Can we please get these guys to our local church asap?!

Fr Ray Blake said...

It is overdone, and lacks noble simplicity in the context of what is seen of the building, but it is fun!
One must be aware of the context of the celebration too; Le Barroux is a monastery of very mortified ascetic monks, all the people on this clip seemed to be young. I bet the preferred music was more likely to be Cherubini (if that were possible)rather than restrained chant.
The Council Fathers spoke of legitimate cultural diversity too, maybe this is an example.

David said...

The problem with the phrase "noble simplicity" is that it was very vague and left vast room for the agenda of individuals and groups. So, after Vatican II "noble simplicity" was variously interpreted as:

1) Calvinist austerity (or "sterility", as Msgr Klaus Gamber put it) - i.e. "Get rid of everything that is overtly Catholic such as crucifixes, relics, and statues of the Saints".

2) Modernist minimalism - i.e. "Make everything box-like and angular and show everyone how innovative and forward-thinking we are"

3) Pseudo-childishness - i.e. "A concern with beauty is Pharasaical. Jesus wanted us to become as little children so let's rip out the Sanctuary, paint the back wall bright blue and stick some big plastic sunflowers where the altar used to be" (my Great Aunt's church in Canada suffered this fate)

Benedicat said...

Clericus,

I wholeheartedly disagree.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass deserves the best one can give. That Altar is not overdone. I'm also assuming from looking at the videos of that Altar during Lent, they are making it up especially for Easter hence the extra elaborateness.

I dislike this notion of 'Noble Simplicity' because it has opened the floodgates and allowed people with an agenda to vandalise and destroy beautiful Sanctuaries.

There is nothing ridiculous about giving great glory to God through making His Altar as magnificent as possible.

Anonymous said...

How delightful and how French! But what were they measuring it for? And why does it say 'this video may offend'???

the dĂșnadan said...

There should have been an advisory message at the beginning: "No French Bishops were hurt during the making of this film."

Anonymous said...

"No French Bishops were hurt during the making of this film."

Very, very funny

Mark said...

Magnifique!

George said...

I agree with some of the commentators in that 'noble simplicity' in the wrong hands became a weapon of 'Mass destruction'. God does EVERYTHING for us, to make His altar as beautiful as possible is the least little offering. Surely there is nothing tooooooo great we can do for God!

'No French Bishops were hurt in the making of this film' - oh, that's really really funny!!!!!

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