I attended my first Traditional Latin Mass this last week while on pilgrimage in St. Louis, MO. I'm still reflecting upon the experience but wanted to share with you a few reflections I've had so far.
1. A church can be beautiful
Both in the oratory and the basilica, I was moved by the appropriateness of the response to the holiness and grandeur of God. If God came to us in the flesh and comes to us in the Eucharistic mystery, let's respond to that love with a church that celebrates just how amazing God's grace is.
2. Ad Orientem makes a lot of sense.
As Mass started at St. Francis de Sales Oratory, tears welled in my eyes because I understood something I had never understood before. We, with the priest, come to God to offer our lives to the Father through the Eucharistic sacrifice We are not mere witnesses to the Eucharist, we are participants. The Eucharist is our prayer.
Ironically, when the priest faces the congregation that important truth can fail to take hold. What can get unintentionally communicated is that the priest is putting on some type of show and that the direction of the Mass is toward the people. Ad Orientem reminds us that it is toward God. The movement of the Mass is vertical, the paschal sacrifice is for the Father, and the Eucharist is our prayer to God and His answer to that prayer.
That all said, I had the honor of being at Mass with Cardinal Burke on Sunday--Novus Ordo--that was celebrated with the solemnity appropriate the Holy Eucharist.
3. I still appreciate the vernacular.
My friend and I commented to each other after our time at the Oratory, that the Latin Mass without catechesis is a recipe in the modern world for a loss of faith. (I also think that with catechesis, the resurgence of the Latin Mass is the recipe for a resurgence of faith)
The fall-out post-Vatican II had little to do with the new Mass and mostly to do with poor catechesis. Leaving the Church isn't an option if Christ has "the words of life", but if the faithful don't know those words it can be difficult to remember why we linger with Him through this life of suffering. Moreover, behind every Mass innovation is a failure in appreciating the Truth of the Mass--a failure of catechesis. We doctor up what we think is broken.
We are in the era of the New Evangelization. I believe the vernacular Mass serves two purposes. One, it calls all men and women into accountability for their faith. No one can say, "I didn't know because I didn't understand". When we profess our faith or when the priest says "The Body of Christ", we are left without excuse if we respond in lifeless apathy or disbelief. Christ said His Father would separate the goats and the sheep. He's doing that.
Two, it opens the door to bring unity to the Church--particularly amongst the separated brethren in the protestant communities. Mass being in the vernacular was essential to my conversion to the Catholic faith. If for not that reason alone, I will always be endeared to it.
4. Why did we get rid of communion rails?
This is absolutely one of the most beautiful parts of our faith. The imagery is of a wedding feast. The linens are pulled out. We kneel as beggars. We, poor banished children of Eve, receive the Fruit of New Eve's womb.
Restore communion rails and dignity for the Eucharist will be restored tomorrow. It seems just that simple. Further, this seems a rather uncontroversial reform. Right? Isn't everyone interested in the Eucharist being treated with respect? Too many times, I've witnessed our Lord being treated carelessly--communion on-the-go or our Lord shuffled around in the hand as if He were a pocket candy. Surely these displays do not increase our faith in the Eucharistic Mystery. Let's pray that we see a reform to these irreverent practices.
Ave Maria!
