IT IS NOT ABOUT US!
“Traditional” Catholics and “Mordenist” Catholics. How should the Mass should be celebrated? There are Catholics who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass (which some may call the Pre-Vatican 2 Mass), and there are Catholics who prefer the Norvus Ordo Mass, which is the general form of worship in most parishes today.
Normally, I’d prefer to reserve my comments when it comes to topics such as these. These are grey areas which can potentially cause much division in our Church. However, I felt prompted to speak up when I saw someone share a post in a Facebook group.
Normally, I’d prefer to reserve my comments when it comes to topics such as these. These are grey areas which can potentially cause much division in our Church. However, I felt prompted to speak up when I saw someone share a post in a Facebook group.
This post insinuated that the Traditional Latin Mass was, and is, the only way to go. The intent of the post was to throw the shade towards the Holy Father and the Bishops who were part of the Second Vatican Council, for “doing away” with the Traditional Latin Mass, and for “doing away” with many things, such as the priest facing the altar towards the East (or “Ad Orientam"), taking away the railings at the sanctuary, doing away with Latin, and many other things. The author of the post said that the shame should be on our Pope for allowing such things to continue, and that all “mordenist Catholics” should be ashamed of themselves for they are “enemies of Christ”
Personally, I think it's rather sad that even within our faith, when Jesus Christ himself wished for us all to be one (for further reference, see John 17:21), so many things can cause division. And what’s more, it’s the Liturgy that causes division, the very thing that’s supposed to unite us all together, and to the divine. This is the source and summit of our faith, and we choose to fight over it because of our own preferences?
Personally, I think it's rather sad that even within our faith, when Jesus Christ himself wished for us all to be one (for further reference, see John 17:21), so many things can cause division. And what’s more, it’s the Liturgy that causes division, the very thing that’s supposed to unite us all together, and to the divine. This is the source and summit of our faith, and we choose to fight over it because of our own preferences?
If you take a look at Vatican 2 closely, nobody said that the Norvus Ordo Mass cannot be celebrated Ad Orientam (with the priest facing the Altar). It can, and it's in line with Vatican 2. Also, who says that the worship of God is not central in the Norvus Ordo Mass?
Every prayer in the Mass centres our worship on God. Every Mass that we pray, it is not about us. We come to Church for Mass to do what we cannot do at home. To enter into the Mystery of Christ, as a community of believers. To be nourished by our triune God, both at the table of the Word, and at the table of the Eucharist, where he gives himself in his true presence.
Furthermore, if you think about it, the Mass need not be celebrated Ad Orientam. The priest is not turning his back on God to face the people. Quite the opposite. He is acting In Persona Christi, or in layman terms, in the person of Jesus Christ himself. Christ speaks to the people and acts through the priest. And it's for this reason that he faces the people. If one’s reasoning is that the priest should face the Altar as you should face the person to whom you are speaking, Jesus is facing you when he’s speaking to you.
Nowhere in Vatican 2 says that the Traditional Latin Mass is invalid. Vatican 2 builds upon the previous councils. Both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Norvus Ordo Mass give us the true presence of Christ, and both nourish his people at the table of the word, and at the table of the Eucharist. Why then are we fighting over such things? Can’t both exist side by side?
If I may be blunt, if the Traditional Latin Mass is what helps one's soul be drawn into the mystery of Christ best, praise be to God. It's been sacred for generations, and it has never lost its sacredness. The Church is clear on that. However, it's not the ONLY thing that matters.
If one has issues with Vatican 2, even after reading the documents, this is where our ONE faith must come in. Perhaps you could argue that Vatican 2 is not dogma. However, it’s still apostolic teaching. It was a council which was divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, not simply to help the Church to "get with the times", as it's been accused of, but rather, to help us, his flock, have a better understanding, and encounter with the Mystery of Christ. Vatican 2 has nothing to do with the Liturgical Abuse that goes on in the different parishes around the world. That's left to the people who execute it and then letting private interpretations and preferences take precedence over the rubrics of the GIRM and the traditions of Mother Church.
And if the current Norvus Ordo Mass is what helps one’s soul, then praise be to God as well. But that is not to say that the Traditional Latin Mass is invalid. As Pope Benedict has rightly pointed out, it cannot be that what was sacred for centuries isn’t valid anymore. Both the Norvus Ordo Mass and the Traditional Latin Mass draw us into the Mystery of Christ, and both can be celebrated prayerfully and with dignity, so long that we remember that it is not about us.
Every prayer in the Mass centres our worship on God. Every Mass that we pray, it is not about us. We come to Church for Mass to do what we cannot do at home. To enter into the Mystery of Christ, as a community of believers. To be nourished by our triune God, both at the table of the Word, and at the table of the Eucharist, where he gives himself in his true presence.
Furthermore, if you think about it, the Mass need not be celebrated Ad Orientam. The priest is not turning his back on God to face the people. Quite the opposite. He is acting In Persona Christi, or in layman terms, in the person of Jesus Christ himself. Christ speaks to the people and acts through the priest. And it's for this reason that he faces the people. If one’s reasoning is that the priest should face the Altar as you should face the person to whom you are speaking, Jesus is facing you when he’s speaking to you.
Nowhere in Vatican 2 says that the Traditional Latin Mass is invalid. Vatican 2 builds upon the previous councils. Both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Norvus Ordo Mass give us the true presence of Christ, and both nourish his people at the table of the word, and at the table of the Eucharist. Why then are we fighting over such things? Can’t both exist side by side?
If I may be blunt, if the Traditional Latin Mass is what helps one's soul be drawn into the mystery of Christ best, praise be to God. It's been sacred for generations, and it has never lost its sacredness. The Church is clear on that. However, it's not the ONLY thing that matters.
If one has issues with Vatican 2, even after reading the documents, this is where our ONE faith must come in. Perhaps you could argue that Vatican 2 is not dogma. However, it’s still apostolic teaching. It was a council which was divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, not simply to help the Church to "get with the times", as it's been accused of, but rather, to help us, his flock, have a better understanding, and encounter with the Mystery of Christ. Vatican 2 has nothing to do with the Liturgical Abuse that goes on in the different parishes around the world. That's left to the people who execute it and then letting private interpretations and preferences take precedence over the rubrics of the GIRM and the traditions of Mother Church.
And if the current Norvus Ordo Mass is what helps one’s soul, then praise be to God as well. But that is not to say that the Traditional Latin Mass is invalid. As Pope Benedict has rightly pointed out, it cannot be that what was sacred for centuries isn’t valid anymore. Both the Norvus Ordo Mass and the Traditional Latin Mass draw us into the Mystery of Christ, and both can be celebrated prayerfully and with dignity, so long that we remember that it is not about us.
As Catholics, we do not get to pick and choose what we want to believe in when it comes to the teachings of Mother Church. When we do this, that is what causes division. If we struggle with agreeing with all the teachings of the Church, let me assure you that this is normal. There are teachings and doctrines that I too struggle to appreciate fully. However, this is when we are called to pray for humility, to pray for the grace to understand, and to accept even though we may not fully agree. This applies to all teachings of the Church. The journey of faith never ends.
At the end of the day, even with the Norvus Ordo Mass, I'm all for doing things Liturgically right. I’m actually proud to say that I was taught by my former Parish Priest who holds a Licentiate in Liturgical Theology. I too find “disquiet” within me when I see things not done right. Like for instance, when people return to their pews to kneel and pray after receiving the Eucharist, rather than joining the Church in the prayer of the Church at that point, which is the communion hymn. Or when people make the sign of the cross when they are sprinkled with Holy Water (because it’s not a blessing, but a reminder of our Baptism). However, when our time here on earth is up, I’d like to believe that God isn’t going to ask us if we did things Liturically correctly. He’s going to ask us how we treated the brother or sister that he gave us.
It’s one thing to speak up against Liturgical Abuse, or to educate the people about the right way of doing things. It’s quite another to write off the Mass, be it the Traditional Latin Mass or the Norvus Ordo Mass as irrelevant. It’s also quite another to be pushing our form of worship as the only form of worship that should be recognised by the Church. Like I’ve said, every Mass that we pray, it really is not about us. There are better things to worry about.
When we push our own agendas instead of clinging on to the ONE Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith, we cause division in our Church. And by doing so, we serve our own wants and our own agendas, not the one who is due our hearts and our reverence. That is far more being an "enemy of Christ" rather than taking away the railings and the priest facing the people.
At the end of the day, even with the Norvus Ordo Mass, I'm all for doing things Liturgically right. I’m actually proud to say that I was taught by my former Parish Priest who holds a Licentiate in Liturgical Theology. I too find “disquiet” within me when I see things not done right. Like for instance, when people return to their pews to kneel and pray after receiving the Eucharist, rather than joining the Church in the prayer of the Church at that point, which is the communion hymn. Or when people make the sign of the cross when they are sprinkled with Holy Water (because it’s not a blessing, but a reminder of our Baptism). However, when our time here on earth is up, I’d like to believe that God isn’t going to ask us if we did things Liturically correctly. He’s going to ask us how we treated the brother or sister that he gave us.
It’s one thing to speak up against Liturgical Abuse, or to educate the people about the right way of doing things. It’s quite another to write off the Mass, be it the Traditional Latin Mass or the Norvus Ordo Mass as irrelevant. It’s also quite another to be pushing our form of worship as the only form of worship that should be recognised by the Church. Like I’ve said, every Mass that we pray, it really is not about us. There are better things to worry about.
When we push our own agendas instead of clinging on to the ONE Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Faith, we cause division in our Church. And by doing so, we serve our own wants and our own agendas, not the one who is due our hearts and our reverence. That is far more being an "enemy of Christ" rather than taking away the railings and the priest facing the people.
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