Friday 27 December 2013

But it's only for children right?

A priest friend told me of how, on one occasion when he was preparing a man, brought up without any knowledge of God or the Catholic Faith, for reception into the Church, he felt it his duty to inform the catechumen about the Novus Ordo.

He gave an outline of the background to the new Mass and recommended (in the spirit of fair play and even handedness, that the man should attend a NO Mass to witness the full choice offered by HMC at first hand).

When he met up with the man some days later he asked him what he thought of the OF Mass.

He received the reply: "Well, it was OK, but it's only for children right?"

I was reminded of these immortal words when I attended a Novus Ordo Mass on Christmas morning.
My attendance was based on the twin facts that no EF Mass was available and that it was vital that my two grandchildren would be able to attend Mass and visit the crib on this important day.

I will not stoop to churlishness by describing the ordeal and, besides, I know that many of you suffered far more patiently than me on Christmas morning with similar expereinces.

But, I had to reflect on just how the two Masses are so different; so far apart.

Sadly, I left feeling that there can be no reconciliation without either A) a miracle or, B) a very strong concerted steer from Rome and the Bishops to actually impose a Latin Mass every Sunday.

But, even plan B) would not work as the celebrant on Christmas Day, was completely unfit for purpose.

I do not mean that he was wilfully bad, just lacking in what the army used to call 'moral fibre' except that, in this case it would be 'lacking in spiritual fibre'.

No one, priest included, paid the slightest bit of attention, let alone, respect, for the tabernacle housing the Blessed Sacrament. Furthermore, the celebrant was totally focused, as was the congregation audience on the performance (that included an eleven girl alter server singing a solo mindless sort of hymn in rather a tuneless Kermit the Frog voice when he sang 'Halfway up the Stair'.

It would take 12 months solitary in an SSPX community before this priest would even begin to understand what a real Mass is all about.

Perhaps the man receiving instruction was right, the Novus Ordo Mass is only for children, and very young ones at that.

22 comments:

  1. Audience at our NO performance clapped themselves for five minutes. Awesome whoopee as a kiddie centred celebration. No Credo instead bob the builder style call and answer session. Do we believe in God? Yes! Roared the crowds. Santa hats all round too! Nice job by Father who was perfect to ensure NO on course and valid. Totally failed in spirit though. No chance of the NO ever being God centred again here. Agree best way forward is to promote EF as grown up mass and leave the kids playing with their Bugnini inspired worldly creation.

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  2. Oh the irony. It might be a Mass for kids, but these kids in the main, will neither know or practice the faith as adults. No substance, no challenge= no faith.

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    1. Mummymayhem, yes, I thought of your earlier comment when I attended this Mass. A blessed New Year to you.

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  3. Sad, but true. As a convert to the Catholic Church, and seeing the stark differences between the Novus Ordo and the Latin Mass, I can safely say that the NO is a mass for children, and for those who do not want any sort of challenge to their faith. Having heard of the Latin mass through the internet, and through old movies, I sought one out, and I haven't looked back since I first stepped into that FSSP chapel. Sometimes I am forced to go to a NO church due to weather, and I cringe at the mess that I witness. Yes, the NO is valid, but does it impart the maximum possible graces to the faithful and challenge them? Not by a long shot.

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    1. Samantha, to me, one of God's miracles is the gift of converts who have found their way to the Latin Mass.

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  4. Because of the SSPX I have "Christmas Gold" daily with our children and now grandchildren. A very Merry Christmas to all!

    CHRISTMAS
    GOLD

    If I had a big house
    As a rule-of-thumb
    At Christmas I'd have loved-ones
    And others if they'd come.

    If I had a big house
    A cupboard warm and round
    Would feed my Christmas guests
    The staff of life here found.

    If I had a big house
    All men I would let in
    At Christmas shed their burdens
    Learn losses can be wins.

    If I had a big house
    All Christmas linens laced
    And men who came to visit
    Would yield a certain grace.

    But I don't need a big house
    I'm in the biggest home
    Where hindered senses are enhanced
    By way of Christmas-Rome.

    For Christmas-Rome's eternal
    Shall not be bought or sold
    And yule-logs in perpetuum
    Glow red fore Christmas-gold!!

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    1. LS, thank you for your prose throughout the year, God's blessings on you and yours for 2014.

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  5. Sigh.
    All best wishes of the Christmas season to you Richard, readers and commenters.

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    1. Damask Rose, was that a sigh of agreement or sorrow at my stance? I hope it was the former :)
      Thank you for your wishes, may God bless you throughout the New Year.

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  6. If I may make a slightly off- subject comment. For family reasons, I attended an Episcopalian midnight “Mass” and then a Novus Ordo Mass on Christmas day.

    In the Protestant service the congregation were reverent before and after, prayerful, their music, organ and choir, was sound and appropriate, the server was male, the Prayer of the Faithful was correctly done by the minister, the sermon was thoughtful and interesting, and above all they received their communion reverently and kneeling. I had the feeling of being in the House of God.

    By contrast, at the Catholic Mass, the music was appalling, included several badly played instruments including a guitar, had the usual rambling prayers dictated by the BBC news editor, had about six hymns/carols, the sermon included jokes and was otherwise unmemorable, there was the usual irreverent and casual reception of Holy Communion, we had praise and lengthy applause for the priest and other helpers, and there was , of course, excited laughter and chatter in the church after Mass.
    But worst of all was the way the priest ran hurriedly and casually through the words of Consecration.

    My reaction, frankly, a feeling of shame, for our Catholic Novus Ordo Mass.

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    1. Jacobi, I believe that many Anglican services are far more 'Catholic' than ours.

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  7. I feel I must stick up for the children. What children are you, in fact, talking about? My children hate going to "the English Mass" even though the NO Mass they are occasionally forced to go to on Fridays after Holy Hour is said by one of the only diocesan priests in the country who says the TLM every single day and therefore says the NO with complete reverence. My children cry out, "No, not the English Mass! The Mass where people sit round all the time!" The NO Mass from a child's point of view is that the whole of it is less reverent as the congregation inevitably sit on their backsides for most of it. In sharp contrast, in the TLM, the congregation is down on its knees straight away as serious business is about to commence.

    So, given the option, if children were presented equally with the two Masses from birth, they would choose the one with mystery and awe every time ie the TLM (as they are less foolish than we adults) and would not choose the one that is an embarrassing school assembly with an incongruous consecration shoved in the middle of it (ie the NO Mass in case anyone hadn't guessed).

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    1. Sarochka, the comment was made by a pagan who had observed the new Mass. It was (to us) an understandable mistake. But my post relates to the fact that the NO is presented in a childish manner. It is entertainment rather than worship centred and that, superficially, appeals to children and to child like adults,

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  8. It is funny that you mention the children's reference. I have been thinking for some time now that is as if the changes after Vatican II heralded a form of OFSTED for the Catholic Church.

    When you look at what OFSTED did for schools then it made sure that teachers kept children engaged in lessons, by active participation at a VARK (visual, aural, reading, kinethetic) level.

    The changes to the Mass amounted to OFSTED for lay people i.e. make sure that we treat the adults like children, and keep them entertained through active participation in a VARK style Novus Ordo Mass.

    Now ironically after many years in FE I have to say that I have seen a massive improvement in teaching standards, unfortunately the 'Vatican II OFSTED' has not achieved the same results in the Catholic Church.

    We have ended up with a church of dunces despite of the new Novus Ordo VARK Mass. Ironic isn't it?

    I know that you have some links to education so I thought you might like this analogy. Maybe you could do a post on this aspect? It is certainly a power analogy to make people see that the changes did not work.

    I hope all is well, and you and yours had a wonderful Christmas.

    Cheers!!!!!!

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    1. OPN, good to hear from you. I served 25 years under the FE mast (and have the scars to prove it!). Yes, it's absolutely true, we have become a church of dunces.
      We are well, thank you. I trust all is well with you and that you have a blessed 2014.

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  9. This is classic; people who are not indoctrinated into the current sad mindset of liberal progressive crowd clearly see the Novus Ordo for what it is. Reminds me of a similar post on my blog, "The Novus Ordo Should Be Outrgrown". http://philotheaonphire.blogspot.com/2012/04/novus-ordo-should-be-outgrown.html

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    1. Yes, Jay, yours was a great post, many thanks. I miss your blog tremendously.

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  10. It is all so painful!
    I made a mistake, decided to go to my N.O.parish for Mass Christmas eve morning, my eldest son, visiting, said he'd go with me. There was an announcement and a leaflet with Mass times over Christmas and that day C.Eve. at HALF FOUR!!!!!!! was a children's Mass and could they come with costumes or pick them out of the 'dressing up box'. My daughter-in-law was delighted - sigh so that was where and when she and our young grandsons attended the "entertainment" Christmas Mass. She then placed the boys in front of a DVD on actual C.Day. My husband and I attended Midnight at a SSPX. We had to go early as I had gathered a lay choir for carols, most of choir were a family from Wales so they had to leave home really early to arrive by 10. Baby girl same ages as Son's youngest. 5 months. Good as gold slept through all of singing and Mass, and to think, my grandson missed Mass completely. Will he and his brothers be CHINO's? Me thinks so ( with a lot of help from the priests.)

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    1. Momangelica, a happy Christmas to you and your husband, See you in 2014.

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  11. Pretty much what Cardinal Heenan predicted when he witnessed the first NO Mass at the Vatican. Thank God there was an early Latin Low Mass on Christmas morning in my neck of the woods which was prayerful and contemplative and a reminder of what Christmas actually is..

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    1. Genty, yes, Cardinal Heenan's words echoed in my head when my priest friend told me that story. So pleased you managed to side step the 'case of peas'.

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