Monday, March 23, 2015

The Rite of Prémontré


The Rite of Prémontré which was celebrated by Fr Stephen Morrison O. Praem. during our parish retreat. It raised lots of interest amongst our younger parishioners and was beautifully and very correctly celebrated, unlike my own rather workman-like celebration of the Roman Rite.


For a short time four years this was a dependant priory of the Premonstratensian Priory at Storrington, I don't think their own Rite figured very highly.You can also see the veiling (£1.25 a meter), this year the MC also decided we would veil the altars, I think to match the chasuble..


















You can also see the veiling (£1.25 a meter), this year the MC also decided we would veil the altars, I think to match the chasuble.



The photographs were taken by one of my parishioners - such an important parish ministry in the internet age.

















6 comments:

Supertradmum said...

Beautiful, Father, and I love your liturgical correctness with the coverings.

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

There's an unmistakeable Truth in that purple, Father. The something that matters - like all 'little' and easily dismissable treasures, that, given 'authority', we might throw before swine as nothing.

David O'Neill said...

How does the Praemonstratentian (spelling?) Rite differ? As the Dominican Rite differs very little what differences should we see?

Colonel Mustard said...

There are very few differences in the Premonstratensian Rite of Low Mass; in fact, it might even be a stretch to call it a Rite; rather it is a monastic usage which lots of mediaeval leftovers. In terms of the ordinary texts and actions in the low Mass, St Augustine and Norbert are added to the Confiteor, the genuflection in the creed begins at the incarnation, and the priest rises at the resurrection, the Suscipiat Dominus reads: "Suscipiat Dominus hoc sacrificium de manibus tuis"; after the elevation there is an extension of the arms in a cruciform manner, and there is a sanctus candle on the epistle side (properly separate from the altar, but often placed upon it, originally held by an acolyte in mediaeval times, as was common, but it became a free-standing structure. Some older editions of the Ordinarius mandated two sanctus candles on certain feasts, the other placed on the gospel side, but this is no longer the practice). Otherwise, the Low Mass is largely the same. Given that the Premonstratensian Books were not reformed by the Council (of Trent), subsequent reforms have not affected the texts of the Mass, particularly the wider variety of sequences, and there are obviously some different texts for different days and occasions etc. The music is also very different: I've heard the comment that it has a paschal quality about it, and tends to be more uplifting than the familiar Roman music.

Colonel Mustard said...

In Norbertine houses of seven or more priests, there was a requirement to have a high Mass every day (in addition to two other conventual Masses). In the high Mass, there were many complex differences: the acolytes stand facing inwards for the preparatory prayers with candles, which are put down at the Kyrie. In earlier times, on lesser feasts, the cross was incensed kneeling, but the Roman practice was common, and on greater feasts. Hands are not kissed unless the Abbot is the celebrant. A coped cantor intoned the Gloria, and there were known to be additions during votive Masses to the Gloria, similar to the Marian glorias of the Sarum Rite, which included mention of St Norbert. The chasuble was supposed to be raised by the deacon at the Dominus Vobiscum, but this rarely happened in later years. The chalice etc is brought in procession to the credence by the acolytes during the collects, and the corporal is spread by the deacon during the epistle (in earlier times, he washed his hands, and in later times, the corporal was in some places spread later, during the creed). The epistle itself is said facing the people. The Gospel is similarly sung facing west using an ambo, and the deacon kisses the book first if the celebrant is not the abbot or a bishop. When there is a creed, the book is taken around the choir, and each canon kisses it (closed), and is then incensed. During the creed, the genuflection lasts from the incarnation until the resurrection. The offertory is the same (except that spoons were always used), but the incensation was quite different. After the gifts were incensed, the celebrant would incense the cross, and, staying in the middle, face either end of the altar and incense with three swings, and he washes his hands. The subdeacon assumes the humeral veil unless he is already wearing it. Older books instruct that the celebrant is incensed at the Orate fratres, after which, the deacon takes the paten - which is still on the altar - and holds it aloft during the preface dialogue at the sursum corda. After this, he gives the paten to the subdeacon, who assumes his place, and then the deacon takes the thurible, and standing behind the celebrant, and makes a circuit of the altar, and incenses the tabernacle when he has gone around the altar (most altars were free-standing). He then incenses the subdeacon, and is then himself incensed. The canon is the same, except with the differences already mentioned. In some places, the older practice of singing the O Salutaris after the consecration continued in some churches until the 20th century. The deacon takes the paten at the Pater Noster and elevates it at: "panem nostrum", and gives it to the priest at the end of the Pater Noster. The peace is given to the deacon, and passed around choir with a pax brede. It was preferred that the sacred ministers received Holy Communion.

Colonel Mustard said...

Otherwise, it's all the same as the Roman Rite. There were various attempts to reform the order's liturgy and make it more Roman, and so some practices have been adopted which were not originally Norbertine, such as the last Gospel. There was a strong "spirit of the council" after Trent, and a desire to conform to Roman practices, especially after the French Revolution. In that tumult, the mother house was destroyed, and the Order nearly disappeared, and so many of the mediaeval practices that were kept alive died out by the time the Order managed to get its act together in the 19th century (e.g. before then, the chalice etc was filled at low Mass before Mass began, or after the epistle at the conventual Mass; until the 15th century, the gifts were placed side-by-side on the corporal; in the very early days, communion was received under both kinds, usually with a fistula, although there are examples of chalices with handles; some unusual ancient practices were peculiarly Norbertine, and in some houses, the ablutions took place thus: wine is poured into the chalice and drunk, and the priest washes his fingers with wine alone, after which he washes the paten over the chalice with wine. The chalice is reassembled and taken away, and washed with water at the credence by the deacon and subdeacon, while the priests washes his hands in water at the piscina or in a bowl).

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