Sunday, November 18, 2007

It was beautiful, Father


This evening I was quite delighted someone actually telephoned me to thank me for celebrating our 5pm Mass. I am told someone else was actually moved to tears.

Tonight was the first time I have celebrated a normal timetabled Sunday Mass ad orientem. I warned people what was going to happen and despite really horrible weather the Church was full.
We had a group of singers who came down from the Guildhall School of Music, students and young professionals studying under Professor Emanuelle Moris, they did four short pieces and the congregation sang de Angelis, the rest of the Mass was English. They did sing beautifully but I think it was actually the liturgy itself which was moving; God speaking, with priest getting in the way as little as possible.

The liturgies that I find ugly, infuriating, off putting are those in which are priest seems to be the prime actor rather than God.
I was being thanked, I think, for not getting in the way.


a thought
St Benedict doesn't use the term "liturgy"- work of the people: instead he speaks of "opus Dei"- work of God. Is the use of the word "liturgy" dangerous?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

...it was actually the liturgy itself which was moving; God speaking, with priest getting in the way as little as possible.


The liturgies that I find ugly, infuriating off putting are those in which are priest seems to be the prime actor rather than God.

I was being thanked, I think, for not getting in the way.


Yes, yes, yes

Sharon

Anonymous said...

Father,
I think we can safely use the word 'Liturgy' if we read our Catechism no.1069: "the word liturgy originally meant 'a public work or a service in the name of/onbehalf of the people'. In Christian tradition it means 'the participation of the People of God in the work of God'"

gemoftheocean said...

I'm delighted for you that it went so well. You had posted before about these singers coming to your church. And what a pretty church it is too. Are there more pictures of it elsewhere?

Karen

Anonymous said...

If only we had this in our parish!!! At this rate we'll be driving to St. Mary Magdalene's!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2,
I think Fr, is onto something "liturgia" de-emphasises the given nature and theocentricity of worship.
Opus Dei has paticular connections in todays Church.
What is wrong with "worship"?

Anonymous said...

Well done Fr!

Anonymous said...

So what!

Anonymous said...

In Christian tradition it means 'the participation of the People of God in the work of God'"

Or in a recent Children's Liturgy workshop (put together by Sr. I won't say) we were quoted

The work of God's people doing God's work. Not that you could take this seriously of course. Especially since we were given prayers to mother earth to give us peace and of course the obligatory prayer to the moon to send "healing rays" upon us. No, I'm not joking.

I'm so glad you became a priest and so glad you love our Catholic Faith. Sometimes I despair at what will be left for the children and their children. With your good example and all our prayers for priests and Bishops I am reminded to hope, take my part and forge on. May God bless you.

Anonymous said...

I was unable to attend this particular Mass and am pleased that despite the dreadful weather this did not stop people attending.

What I should like to know is whether there is anything to stop you, Father, from celebrating other Sunday Masses ad orientem. Do you have to get permission from the Bishop first?

Several weeks ago I overheard a young couple talking as we left St Mary Magdalen after the Friday evening Mass (ad orientem). 'My, that was SO different - so devotional' one said to the other.
It sounded as if this was their first experience of Mass in this way and it certainly made a big impression on them.

I should like to add that even when your Mass is not ad orientem, the fact that you, Father, face sideways towards the tabernacle and not full on to the congregation seems so much more reverential. Although I have attended Mass at more than a dozen different churches this year in GB and France, you are the only Priest who I have seen who does not face full on. One church in London had the Celebrant sitting facing the people right in front of the Tabernacle which was still on the central old altar. I felt most uncomfortable there during that particular Mass.

Dr. Peter H. Wright said...

What a beautiful setting for the Mass. (As, I am sure, was the music.)

I wish I could have been there.
But too far away for me these days, I'm afraid.

That is a very interesting afterthought by Father Ray.

It seems natural that in the East, where Greek was preserved, they should speak of the Divine Liturgy, where in the West we speak of Mass.

I suppose the most accurate translation of "liturgos" would be "public worship".

This phrase does, however, sound dangerously close to the "Divine Worship" of the Church of England.

After all, the word "liturgos" means "minister" which sounds very Protestant.

I think I would say : stick to the words Mass, Missal and Priest.

There is less ambiguity !

Anonymous said...

It is not just in England where words seem to be changing. In France the word 'Messe' is being replaced in church bulletins and posters by 'l'Eucharistie'.

We all know that the word Mass and Messe was derived from 'Ite Missa Est' the dismissal at Mass. Yes we do receive the Holy Eucharist but why do we have to lose the term used for so many years for Holy Mass?

Last week, having arrived early for 'l'Eucharistie' at a church in Lyon, I familiarised myself with the order of Mass which I found in the hymn book. I was somewhat shocked to find that the priest was no longer referred to as 'le celebrant' but 'le president.' It was definitely a Catholic church but I found myself tempted to wonder whether I should address him as 'Monsieur le President' as he greeted the congregation on the way out!

How I agree with Dr Wright - lets keep to the familiar terms and not change them.

gemoftheocean said...

"So-what - Anon"

Can you NOT be happy for Father even if such a Mass is not your personal preference? It seems a great many people were moved. Can not people who prefer ad orient. find comfort too? No one is saying do away with NO Masses. Or versus populam, for that matter. (I prefer ad pop. myself), but if you're going to through a churlish rock, at least have the guts to sign yourself as other than anon. Can't you be gracious and happy for other people?

Anonymous said...

I wish my own parish priest would celebrate ad orientem.

I wish he would stop imposing his own personality on the Mass.

I wish he would stop thinking that he has to smile and appear 'welcoming'and 'entertaining' the whole time.

I wish he realised that the liturgy has its own power, and that his strivings to make it 'more meaningful' are a distraction.

I wish he would read your blog.

Thank you, Father

Tom said...

Nice! That's awesome. Ad Orientem? That's the way forward.

God bless!

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