Sep
19
The Extraordinary Form
Filed Under Current Issues, Religion
D-Day has come and gone and the world has failed to cease to exist. I am talking, of course, about 15 September 2007, the date the motu proprio Summoroum Pontificum became effective. While many of the faithful rejoiced, the document caused great anxiety among many. I would say that my home parish is rather moderate. For the most part, our liturgies are good; though not the best, they are by no approximation bad. Nevertheless, there seems to be plenty of division on the topic of liturgy.
Personally, I do not a particular devotion to the Extraordinary Form of the Liturgy. I do, however have a devotion to good liturgy and an appreciation for the Extraordinary Form. It is, after all, the way the Church celebrated the Eucharist for 400 years. I was reading the Scelata blog today.
“the Extraordinary Form would not be my first choice. But now, praise Benedict and the motu proprio, I am at least entitled to ask for that, whereas I am not entitled to ask for the Ordinary Form with the Ordinary sung in Latin. Or the Ordinary Form with the priest facing ad orientem. Or the Ordinary Form with no jokes. Or the Ordinary Form without being asked to squawk Lord of the Dance. Or the Ordinary Form without a glad-handing rotary convention inserted where the Pax Christi is offered. Or the Ordinary Form where no adolescent in a football jersey will address me from the sanctuary. Or the Ordinary Form with no mention of Jambalaya or sports enthusiasms. So I am asking for the Extraordinary Form. And my aspirations are rightful.”
-Scelata
I thought about the Extraordinary Form quite a bit after the release of the motu proprio. I decided then that I would become involved in the Extraordinary Form to the extent of my abilities and make an effort to learn it for a number of reasons: I have never attended Mass according to the 1962 Misal and would like to know more about it; To deepen my appreciation for the history and traditions of the Church; To aid those with a special devotion to the 1962 Misal to deepen their faith and love of God, in hopes helping them gain their own salvation. Now, however, I have considered again my interest in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and while I don’t have a particular devotion to it, I do have a devotion to good liturgy. My knowledge of those devoted to the Extraordinary Form and those priests who celebrate it with them assures me that good liturgy is something one can count on at an Extraordinary Form Mass. There for, “the Extraordinary Form would not be my first choice. But now, praise Benedict and the motu proprio, I am at least entitled to ask for that, whereas I am not entitled to ask for the Ordinary Form with the Ordinary sung in Latin. Or the Ordinary Form with the priest facing ad orientem. Or the Ordinary Form with no jokes. Or the Ordinary Form without being asked to squawk Lord of the Dance. Or the Ordinary Form without a glad-handing rotary convention inserted where the Pax Christi is offered. Or the Ordinary Form where no adolescent in a football jersey will address me from the sanctuary. Or the Ordinary Form with no mention of Jambalaya or sports enthusiasms. So I am asking for the Extraordinary Form. And my aspirations are rightful.”
Thanks to Scelata for pointing out what I had missed.
cv