93 lines
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93 lines
5.3 KiB
HTML
<p>In my previous post on the Traditional Latin
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Mass<sup><a href="#r1" >[1]</a></sup> much of my intention was
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apologetic, and fueled by an indignation at seeing how this form of
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celebrating the Divine Liturgy was (and still is) treated almost like a
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second-class celebration. It is true that many of those who assist can
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be very off-putting in their views, but this is no reason to dismiss
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such a beautiful and reverent celebration, much less treat it as
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inferior. However, unfortunately I got defensive and responded in kind,
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disparaging the Ordinary Form, resentful of the differences of how it is
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celebrated, and always tried finding (seemingly) objective reasons as to
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why the Ordinary Form was inferior, not realizing that what's important
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about the Mass, regardless of how it is celebrated, is that it brings
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people closer to Jesus Christ, and different people find this easier
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through different forms. And although I would like for the Extraordinary
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Form to be respected in this manner, I must be the first to respect the
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Ordinary Form in this manner.</p>
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<p>This is not to say that I have changed my mind that the Extraordinary
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Form, when done well, is still objectively more reverent than the
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Ordinary Form. I also believe it is an objective fact that you are more
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likely to find liturgical abuse and even grave heresy in parishes that
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celebrate the Ordinary Form. But we shouldn't judge by its worst
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elements, we should simply correct them. After all, are there not all
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kinds of people who attend the Extraordinary Form who seem to slide
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closer every day to schism? It's important that we learn not to throw
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out the baby with the bath water. If there are heretical, schismatic, or
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abusive elements within any community of Christ's Church, the Christian
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thing to do isn't to push them away, but to fraternally correct them and
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bring them closer to Christ.</p>
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<p>Therefore, I would like to revisit my true reasons for appreciating
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the Traditional Latin Mass. They are subjective, they may not apply to
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everyone, but it is what brings me peace, and what feeds my faith and
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love for our Lord. My reasons are twofold: that it is different from the
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world, and that it does not change. These two reasons, are ultimately
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intertwined.</p>
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<p>If you assist a Tridentine Mass, the main thing you'll notice is that
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it has nothing to do with the world outside. It breaks completely with
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the culture of the world. Mass is said in a dead language (Latin), there
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are many parts (most notably the Consecration) which are said in a low
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voice, so the congregation hears nothing but silence (and the ringing of
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bells), it's filled with all these gestures, symbols, and movements,
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etc. All this adds an element of mysticism to the Mass, which greatly
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helps me in contemplating the supernatural aspect of the Mass, which
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just isn't the same for me if the Mass looks and sounds the same as
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everything else out in the world, in my daily life. The Traditional
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Latin Mass truly gives me the feeling that I am partaking in something
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that is not of this world, that Heaven is truly touching down upon the
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Earth in that very moment.</p>
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<p>Perhaps the reason why the Extraordinary Form is so mystical and
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distinct from the world is because it has remained mostly the same for
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400 years, having been established first by Pope Saint Pius V in 1570.
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It doesn't change, it doesn't adapt to modern trends, it doesn't try to
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be hip and cool. It simply is what it is, and remains constant. The
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peace I get from this is that, while the entire world around me is
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changing, revolutionizing, or even at times falling apart, I always have
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this one place where I know nothing will ever change. I can find Christ
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there, who is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8)
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While in the Ordinary Form the celebration of the Mass changes, not only
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from country to country, not only from city to city, not only from
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parish to parish, but even simply from priest to priest; the
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Extraordinary Form of the Mass I can be assured that it will be
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celebrated exactly the same, no matter where in the world I may attend
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it. The only thing that will change is the language of the readings and
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the homily.</p>
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<p>As I've mentioned before, these are completely subjective criteria.
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You don't have to be convinced of it, as I'm not trying to convince you.
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But what I am trying to communicate is that the Extraordinary Form can
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truly bring people to Christ Jesus, and has. It can truly help some
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people to grow in love and charity. I regret having fostered such a
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disdain for the Ordinary Form in the past, and I pray that one day those
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of us with strong devotions to either form can learn to respect each
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other, and not disparage that which brings each of us closer to God, but
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instead be united as the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church with Christ
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Jesus as our Head. I pray that those of us with devotion to the
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Extraordinary Form can learn to respect and see the fruits of the
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developments of the Ordinary Form; and I pray that those of the Ordinary
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Form can learn to respect and see the peace which the Extraordinary
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Form can give. May God help us to be united as brothers, and celebrate
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these differences, instead of quarrelling and forming disunity in
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Christ's Church.</p>
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<ol class="refs" >
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<li id="r1" >
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<a href="2020-07-18-why-the-traditional-latin-mass.html" >
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"Why the Traditional Latin Mass" Blog Post
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</a>
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</li>
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</ol>
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