To be honest, I do not really enjoy the Mass itself and regard it as something of a penance at the end of Lent. As with many large concelebrations, I could not actually see the altar, let alone the bread and wine I was supposed to be consecrating. There was a CCTV monitor but if that counts, I might as well concelebrate with the Pope via EWTN. I wonder whether the current time of liturgical rethinking might be a good opportunity to explore the possibility of attending in choro. I think that many clergy (not necessarily only "traditionalists") might be in favour of having the option to do so. You might argue that we do have the option de iure but it's best to try to get agreement.
The music is always a pot pourri of styles - "The Church's One Foundation", the "Lourdes Gloria", bits of David Haas, Marty Haugen's Mass of Creation etc. Oddly, Anne Quigley's "Jesus Lamb of God..." was executed with the Agnus Dei from Mass XVIII being sung in the background. The low point was a hymn after Holy Communion by Marty Haugen which began "Thanks be to God when people care" and then morphed into a hearty rendition of "We will overcome". I found it really quite bizarre.
It struck me after Mass that whereas these complaints might be dismissed as personal gripes of a grumpy traditionalist, we did not in fact do what the Novus Ordo liturgists are constantly urging, namely sing the texts of the Mass. The Introit is:
Jesus Christ has made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father: glory and kingship be his for ever and ever. Amen.and the communion is:
For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord; I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.but neither of these actually featured as sung texts.
Although the Cathedral authorities make a generous provision of hot food, they can only cater for the clergy (quite understandably) and I usually arrange to meet some of the laity after Mass. A few of us repaired to the Three Stags pub afterwards which has had the benefit of an overhaul since last year. Pubs, like Churches, can get wreckovated by these well-meaning makeovers but this one seems to have been improved.
8 comments:
You are not alone in your feelings about the music. I am hardly a traditionalist - indeed I like the Modern Rite of Mass in English, but the music at the Chrism Mass at St George's Cathedral really annoys me, and I no longer attend. By the way, I do take your point about concelebration - I am only happy with concelebration when all the priests are clearly gathered around the altar - standing close to the bread and wine which are to be consecrated.
I am very happy to give Southwark's Chrism Mass a miss and attend Westminster's. As you say the music choices are bizarre but my real gripe is the way the gathered community is split up after the Mass. The clergy are hived off into the hall and noone else can greet them in there. There is little time to greet old priest friends. Good for you for joining the laity in the pub I say! At Westminster there appears to be no provision for a communal meal and priests are available for confessions after the Mass.
Father,
Why do I associate Marty Haugen with penitentiary type rites? Maybe because his stuff is so painful to listen to, borderline if not outright heretical, and best exemplifies the execrable character of "church" music here in the States during the period of 1960-1985 or so.
You have a fine blog here, Father
Patrick
Father ~ it says it all when a brewery can be relied upon to reorder a bar better than a catholic PP his Church!
I went to Maundy service which was NO in Latin. I am struck by how odd the OF is EVEN in Latin when compared to the EF Mass. There is something about the incessant dialogue which irritates. I have stopped responding when I attend English NOs and prefer the freedom of the EF when I can get to one -still not easy.
My understanding is that it is not licit to celebrate the Easter Tridium in EF. Could you clarify that please, Father?
My sympathies, Father. I am trying to offer things up, especially as it is Good Friday - is it a sin to look at Blogs on GF? But today, as we all lined up to venerate the cross [after Holy Communion, for some reason]the choir broke into 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?'- a hymn which does not help me raise my heart and mind to GOd, no matter how hard I try. So as not to have its awful tune in my resentful head as I headed back to my hot cross bun, I sat and waited after my veneration for the next hymn. This proved to be 'The old rugged cross'. So off I went for the bun instead. Ho hum. Thank you for 'listening' to me. This 'community' is a great source of comfort.
SV - Art. 2 of Summorum Pontificum says that in Masses celebrated without the people, the priest may use the EF on any day "With the exception of the Easter Triduum." You do not have private Masses in the Triduum in the OF either so this is just a case of dotting the i's and crossing the t's. As we would all expect, some liturgists have tried to make this into a prohibition of the older form of the Holy Week services. They are wrong, there is no justification for this in SP.
I agree with you about the NO in Latin. I found it unsatisfactory and actually harder for people to participate in than the TLM. It also seems absurd to be giving "monitions" to the people in Latin and this all tends to reinforce those who want the vernacular because "I don't know Latin".
October671 - veneration of the Cross after Holy Communion? Oh yeah - who cares about rubrics except when they are having a pop at traditionalists! I agree with you about the dismal choice of hymns.
I have not attended the chrism Mass for years and would need a gun at my back to do so. Large concelebrations I cannot stand and the music is often appalling...a pity because I know the Southwark Choir can sing excellent Latin music as they often do at the main Mass on a Sunday.
By the way I dont approve of posting a blog on Good Friday. It is a sign of serious bloggitus.!
I do not generally attend my chrism Mass in Southwark I am ashamed to say. I went last year for the first time in several years. It was as I remembered from my previous visit. The problems as I see it: (1) the ghastly, abominable, execrable musical choices; (2) the ludicrous idea that all should concelebrate--what would happen if I wanted to sit in quire? I dread to think; (3) it requires I go to confession afterwards "Bless me Father...I have had murderous thoughts at the Chrism Mass today"
No, much better to watch Rome's chrism Mass on Vatican TV (not EWTN, too much voice-over) and be present in spirit with the Holy Father.
Sad, but there you go.
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