What is it?
Well, the Council of Trent says the Mass the propitiatory sacrifice offered to appease an angry God. Why is God angry? Is God happy after Mass? Well, He is unchanging and God doesn't have feelings (as feelings are tied in with the body), so it is not as though He starts off angry and ends up happy. Those are characteristics that we assign God to understand the relation we are to Him. He is "angry" because we sin and he is "happy" because we do what he laid out for us to do. He is pleased in a way that is outside of time with the Sacrifice of the Mass as the re-presentation of Calvary, but in an unbloody manner. The Mass has the same priest and same victim as the Crucifixion, namely the Son offering (priest) Himself (victim) to the Father. The Traditional Roman Rite was pretty much done naturally and organically aggregating by the time Pope St. Gregory the Great celebrated the Mass himself (d 604.) It was not invented, but simply codified by Pope St. Pius V (d.1572.) The Roman Church now had a Mass that could be celebrated on all altars in a standardized manner. This also protected the novelties from Protestantism that was ravaging churches in European towns hundreds of miles away from Rome. It was Western perfection, and the beauty of the rubric paid the dogma the reverence that was due. Since we are dealing with Jesus as both priest and victim, the ceremony must be in accordance with that truth. That is why it can often be seen with all the pomp and circumstance, smells and bells of chanted pageantry or can be said in solemn silence. But the True Mass would never be said with the careless, improvisational, lackadaisical manner we see in "Christian" services today!
An aside: It is not a competition, but if you ever witness another rite (Ex. the Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom) you might think... man, as an American Catholic, I was gypped! Yes you were, but not by being born into an inferior rite of Mass, you were gypped by those who will not give you the real thing! The Western Rite has an equally solemn version called the Solemn High Mass... it just takes three clerics who know what they are doing to sing it for you (plus a myrad of altar servers and a choir that reads Gregorian Notation) There are lots of Ancient ways to celebrate Mass that are still being celebrated today. They all have their own beauty. As Americans we tolerate the mediocre partially because the richness is hidden from us, partially because it would hurt to change back after we invested so much in this new thing, partly because we have been brainwashed into thinking modern art/music/architecture is an improvement. Below, a picture of the different Rites in all their glory. Can someone tell me why "Latin" looks like a different religion to me? I thought that was my rite! (see what I did there?)
What is it not?
Glad you asked. It is not a service, like the Protestants have. Man provides service. God does not provide a service to Himself. That is the fundamental difference and the Mass should not reflect a Protestant Service because of that very fact. Since we already know what Mass is, we know it's not what we can get out of it, but what we can give to God therefore, the Mass is not even a time to learn the Faith during Mass. Now, the Church is very strong on learning the Faith through Magesterium, Scripture, and Tradition. This is accomplished a number of ways, one of which is why a Sermon (which some people thing is the main part of church) is mandated on Sundays and Holy Days to explain whats going on. But, fun fact, it is not actually part of the Mass. The priest takes of his Maniple (the ornate towel hanging off his left arm) to show that he is setting aside the toil of Gods opus (calling a time out from Mass) to give us instruction. The Mass is not a social event to show off your new clothes. The Mas is not time to sit next to the hot girl you want to shake hands/go in for a hug, but we already knew that! Holy Mass is not even the re-presentation of the Last Supper. It uses the words of the last supper to get us to the Sacrifice, but that is why the priest doesn't face the people in the Old Rite. See, a person presiding over a meal would not turn his back on his guests, but the priest entering the hypostatic union - on our behalf - leads us to God. A quick comparison of the two Masses shows us what we really are dealing with. Something that is Man-Centered vs. something that is God-Centered.
Those are some of the things the Mass is not. That is why I chose not to call it by its popular name. This whole "Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite" thing is NEW as of 2007! Its also crap to say "The Novus Ordo is the Ordinary Form of the Mass (not to this writer,) and the Tridentine Mass is "the same Order of Mass as the New Mass, just in its Extraordinary Form!" The two are totally different. I six year old can tell you that.
Why do People like it?
Good question... because its pretty? Because the incense smells nice? Because the vestments look cool? Because the people that go there dress better? Because there are no altar girls/Extraordinary Ministers(Ministresses)/Communion in the hand or other liturgical abuseses? Because the sermons are more conservative? Because the music is lovely (or at least not pop/new age/emotive driven BS?) I don't know why people like it! Those are some guesses, but it really doesn't matter what we like... it matters what God likes, right? (and God doesn't like sloppy stuff.) I happen to like it because I can go anywhere there is a Latin Mass in the world, and be actively pray with my fellow Catholic new family member. India, Africa, China, anywhere! That is not the same for when Mass is in the vernacular language.
Why are people scared of it?
Simple, because its in Latin. At first there is the elephant in the room: language barrier. A person almost feels not right at a Latin Mass the first few times because Mass is supposed to be something of rote memory, and this betrays their familiarity. People would rather bring a stranger who has never been to Mass to the English Mass than the Latin Mass. Even though the Latin Mass is 1500 years older, there is a tendency to dumb down the experience, because "its easier." I really feel people are done with "easy." **A great time to ask the question - Why is the Novus Ordo Mass not just an English Translation of the Latin Mass? I'll save that for another post** We are scared of the Tridentine Rite because cannot understand what is going on the first several times. Because we get lost if we try follow along in the book, and we have never been lost in an English Mass before! Because we look dumb when we don't know when to kneel. Because we can't make the correct responses. All of the above! What is the remedy? I think first we must realize that it is the Mass of the Ages. I, me, this stupid writer, could go to the same Mass that 99% of the saints that I can name went to and worship with them (even be their altar boy if the saint were a priest!) After the 5th Latin Mass I went to, I knew enough where I didn't stick out like a sore thumb. By the 10th Mass it was second nature. Change is scary. No pain, no gain.
What does the hierarchy think of it?
Most of them hate it. The pope doesn't understand why anybody that grew up after Vatican II likes the Old Mass. The bishops allow it because JPII gave an indult to say it. After Benedict said all priest can say it, the priests who wanted to say it go on the naughty list. Francis has crushed the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. And His Holiness wants to reconcile with the SSPX? My Local Ordinary has said there is no room for Latin Mass only priests in his diocese. My bishop could care less about the Latin Mass crowed. He throws the Catholics who want tradition a bone, but no more. When someone gets the bright idea to write His Excellency a letter wanting more, the answer is the priest celebrating the approved TLM must warn the congregation not to write their shepherd anymore letters on that subject. But not all Episcopal Personages are as bad. We find Their Excellencies Alexander Sample and Salvatore Cordileone that lead by example in providing Pontifical High Masses to their faithful (like the pictures above). And guess what? Lex Orandi Lex Credendi... thats right, two of the most conservative bishops in the United States. But the one who wears the miter in the Diocese of St. Augustine worships with non-Catholics. Life isn't fair. We are all dealt different cards. It is how we play them that God will judge us.
What did the hierarchy think of it?
(I think I will save this for another post.)
Is it worth it?
Very much so. Seeing movies like For Greater Glory, There Be Dragons, Becket, The Cardinal, and Catholics (link to future reviews here)... we know that if the Mass is what it says it is, then it is worth dying for. The Sacrifice of the Mass is the same in every valid Mass, but the prayers surrounding the Mass must be fitting! If you, dear reader, are considering going to the Latin Mass, please do. Don't go just once. Sign yourself up for five times. Give it a shot. Nobody there is perfect, and 99% of the people had to go through the same growing pains before they settled in. If you are a lady, where a veil (1 Cor. 11:6) and if you are a man, throw on a tie. It won't kill you, but it will make you stronger. Leave the prayer books at home. Just let the Latin and incense wash over you like a breath of fresh aromatic air! Remember... the Latin Mass is not just one flavor of ice cream amoungst other equally good flavors of ice cream.It is the Rite of Holy Mass that you were supposed to inherit all along! Only you have been robbed of what was rightfully yours...
But no longer!
St. Gregory the Great, pray for us.
St. Pius V, pray for us
St. Francis de Sales (his feast is today in the old calendar,) pray for us
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