Following on from my last post focusing on Dr Tracey Rowland's talk on the 3 Barriers to the Latin Mass, I have cobbled together a list of 'obstacles' to the Novus Ordo Mass.
But, before I begin, let me pre-empt any comments that might be in the offing concerning my view as to the validity of the Ordinary Form.
Many orthodox priests are forced to celebrate this Mass and do so reverently.
It is still not quite the round shilling in my book and I return to Fr Hugh Thwaites' description of the two forms as being water and milk.
Both are valid and provide what is required; but one provides sparingly whilst the other is rich fare indeed.
So here is my litany of the Novus Ordo...please add any 'obstacles' that I may have missed:-
1. The congregation gossip, often at the tops of their voices
2. No one genuflects
3. Children are often taken out of Mass for...what?
4. The church and, often the sanctuary, carry banal playschool posters (often)
5. The priest begins by saying: "Good morning everybody" as if he was a Redcoat at Butlin's.
6. The priest invariably ad libs throughout the Mass
7. There are no communion rails
8. The tabernacle has gone walkabouts
9. At the kiss of peace the congregation go berserk, hugging and kissing
10. There are guitars and other musical instruments of the street in use
11. The bidding prayers are banal
12. Strange people greet you as you arrive to attend Mass
13. The Parish Co-ordinator's nephew and niece always get to take up the bread and wine at the Offertory
14. The singing content is abysmal
15. There is a mob of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion doing incorrect things with sacred vessels and, anyway, they shouldn't be there.
16. The Deacon's brother-in-Law always does the reading (followed by his Sister-in-Law for the second reading
17. The altar servers wear albs
18. There are female altar servers on the sanctuary
19. The Deacon's uncle always takes the collection plate round
20. The altar is actually a card table
21. At the Consecration the families of the Parish Co-ordinator and the Deacon hold hands around the altar
22. The Priest's host is the size of a frisbee
23. All of the hosts are made with brown flour and look dirty
24. The Deacon's sermons go on for far too long and are totally pointless anyway
25. The celebrant deviates constantly and makes up additions to various parts of the liturgy
26. The laity dress strangely, men in shorts and T shirts and women in beachwear
27. The altar servers are untrained
28. The priest wears a polyester chasuble so brightly coloured you need sunglasses to look at it
29. When announcements are made, the congregation claps (sometimes)
30. Holy Communion is distributed under both kinds (pointless)
31. Reception is standing and in the hand
32. The sacred vessels are made of pottery (from the Parish Co-ordinator's evening class)
33. Women do not cover their heads
Phew!.....any advance on 33?
 |
| Barrier....or gateway? Barrier |
But, before I begin, let me pre-empt any comments that might be in the offing concerning my view as to the validity of the Ordinary Form.
Many orthodox priests are forced to celebrate this Mass and do so reverently.
It is still not quite the round shilling in my book and I return to Fr Hugh Thwaites' description of the two forms as being water and milk.
Both are valid and provide what is required; but one provides sparingly whilst the other is rich fare indeed.
So here is my litany of the Novus Ordo...please add any 'obstacles' that I may have missed:-
1. The congregation gossip, often at the tops of their voices
2. No one genuflects
3. Children are often taken out of Mass for...what?
4. The church and, often the sanctuary, carry banal playschool posters (often)
5. The priest begins by saying: "Good morning everybody" as if he was a Redcoat at Butlin's.
6. The priest invariably ad libs throughout the Mass
7. There are no communion rails
8. The tabernacle has gone walkabouts
9. At the kiss of peace the congregation go berserk, hugging and kissing
10. There are guitars and other musical instruments of the street in use
11. The bidding prayers are banal
12. Strange people greet you as you arrive to attend Mass
13. The Parish Co-ordinator's nephew and niece always get to take up the bread and wine at the Offertory
14. The singing content is abysmal
15. There is a mob of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion doing incorrect things with sacred vessels and, anyway, they shouldn't be there.
16. The Deacon's brother-in-Law always does the reading (followed by his Sister-in-Law for the second reading
17. The altar servers wear albs
18. There are female altar servers on the sanctuary
19. The Deacon's uncle always takes the collection plate round
20. The altar is actually a card table
21. At the Consecration the families of the Parish Co-ordinator and the Deacon hold hands around the altar
22. The Priest's host is the size of a frisbee
23. All of the hosts are made with brown flour and look dirty
24. The Deacon's sermons go on for far too long and are totally pointless anyway
25. The celebrant deviates constantly and makes up additions to various parts of the liturgy
26. The laity dress strangely, men in shorts and T shirts and women in beachwear
27. The altar servers are untrained
28. The priest wears a polyester chasuble so brightly coloured you need sunglasses to look at it
29. When announcements are made, the congregation claps (sometimes)
30. Holy Communion is distributed under both kinds (pointless)
31. Reception is standing and in the hand
32. The sacred vessels are made of pottery (from the Parish Co-ordinator's evening class)
33. Women do not cover their heads
Phew!.....any advance on 33?
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