Tuesday 7 July 2015

On the Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum: Loss of Active Participation at the TLM

I attended a TLM recently and noticed how during the Canon of the Mass there was a succession of people leaving the church to use ‘the smallest room in the house’. The door literally did not stop. At a superficial level this might seem to indicate that the TLM is unable to engage the people and that Summorum Pontificum is out of place in the modern Church. Speaking to the people in the coffee morning after the Mass I asked why they went out during the Canon and the reply was always of the same kind: “I find the silence difficult and there’s nothing going on at that point so I miss nothing”. All of the responses I received were of the same kind and highly enlightening: they indicate that many Catholics no longer know how to pray, for if they cannot pray for five minutes during the silence of the Canon, can they sit for fifteen minutes silent prayer at home? They may know how to ‘say prayers’, but they seem unable to open themselves up to a deeper encounter with God.

We thus know why they come in to Church and turn it into a meeting room with conversations: they do not know how to pray silently to the Lord Truly present in the tabernacle in preparation for the Holy Sacrifice and parousial banquet.

The Mass gives us our identity and forms our community; as the re-present-ing of the Holy Sacrifice of the Cross and the source of our salvation we must be actively engaged in the liturgy at the deepest level. Vatican II thus called for a liturgical renewal that would enable such participation, but the liturgy which followed the Council seems to have precluded such participation: Catholics now follow the liturgy in a superficial level of dialogue and activity; they have in fact, had deep, active and engaged participation disabled by the Novus Ordo. We have disabled rather than enabled the ability for heart to speak to heart.

In the final analysis, the TLM is difficult for many to actively engage in at the deeper level simply because they are not called to actively engage in the Novus Ordo at the deeper level: they respond with voice and action, but when it comes to meeting God in contemplative, silent prayer they stumble. Thus, rather than Summorum Pontificum having no place in the modern Church, it is showing itself to be as prophetic in terms of the liturgy as Humanae Vitae was in terms of morality, since it permits the recovery of the ability to speak to God heart to heart.

When Catholics admit that the silence of the TLM is beyond their praying ability; that they need to be saying and doing something, we know we have –that the Novus Ordo has- gone dreadfully wrong.

If mutual enrichment is to become a reality I suggest that the enrichment of the TLM will be by texts; the addition of new prefaces. The enrichment of the NO must be the recovery of silence; the Preparation of the Gifts should be done in silence as presumed by the rubrics; the Canon could offered in silence as in the TLM (I think this should be a requirement) and the priest’s preparatory prayers before Holy Communion should be done silently as presumed by the rubrics. Interestingly, the rubrics do not demand the Canon be said out loud; it simply says the words of consecration should be spoken clearly and distinctly as the nature of the words demands. ‘Clearly’ can mean ‘without mumbling’; ‘distinctly’ can mean ‘in a particular manner’. None require the loss of the sotto voce. Here then, is an opportunity for the Novus Ordo to be enriched in its celebration: use of the under-voice for the Canon, so that the prayer life of the people can be enhanced.

PS. I have to add this is the first time I have noticed such a use of the smallest room, and I think it is worth adding that of all those who appreciate the silence of the TLM most, it is the returning long-lapsed and the converts. That said, if we ask people why they will not attend the TIM, we will, I think, find them saying not only that they don't know Latin but find the silence difficult. In my experience it takes a while for some to get used to the TLM but then they do, they really appreciate it and want to hold onto it.

16 comments:

  1. Terry Middleton7 July 2015 at 17:43

    I must say, Father, that I have never seen people walking out of Mass at St Joseph's Gateshead during the Canon. Maybe we are better at controlling the water flow.

    But I do agree with you that the NO has killed any sense of silent prayer during Mass. It is the silence which appeals to me, and it is that silence which brought me back from "almost-lapsing" ten years ago.

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    1. Thank you, Terry.
      I don't know if it is a regular thing that I observed, or just a peculiarity of the day, but it did spark off some interesting replies which indicate how people used to the Novus Ordo find the silence hard because it is 'where nothing is going on'. It was that particular response more than any other which shocked me. I wonder if, where the smallest room means walking to the front of the Church rather than sneak out the back makes it less likely that people will get up and go? Sneaking out the back is far easier than walking out to the front!
      God Bless.

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  2. I too find the comments from people about 'nothing going on' during the Canon of the Mass shocking. If this is really the result of forty odd years of the Novus Ordo then I do wonder why it has been allowed to continue for so long. Could it have not been addressed years ago perhaps instead of what seemed to have been lamentable catechetics received by our children and grandchildren in Catholic schools? The Church has lost two generations of children from my own family and I am sure I am not alone.

    I saw an example on Sunday during the 50th anniversary ceremony of my diocese. While we were all waiting to receive Holy Communion I saw a chap in the row in front of me get out his phone and proceed to tap out a message on it within a few feet of the Priest holding the Hosts. I could not believe my eyes and indeed found this quite upsetting. I know we should not judge others but I could not understand how someone made the effort to attend this Mass and yet at this point when presumably he thought 'nothing was going on' he decided to send someone a message on his phone.

    Your comment about turning a church into a meeting room reminded me of an interview I saw with a Priest (not in England) about his new church building. He said that the benches were placed so that it was easy for people to talk to each other when they came in.

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    1. Thank you, Pelerin.
      I think the way the Novus Ordo is celebrated in its concrete forms has ruined silent prayer. If more use of silence were made in the N.O. and the ad orientem posture, we would be better off all round. I hoe my recent experience was a one-off situation, though the comments were disturbing.
      God Bless.

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  3. It seems to me that the traditional culture of attending Holy Mass was broken with the introduction of the NO. I never got used to the priest facing the people. It seemed all wrong and people centred. Concurrent with the changes came the lack of reverence. Hushed whispers were replaced by loud conversations with backs turned to Our Lord in the tabernacle. People just don't understand what the Holy Mass is and what it commemorates. If they did they would not behave as you described. We have lost a lot of tradition with the 'reforms' of the Vatican Council. But it will all come back again, and is coming back. Tradition will overcome modernism. We need to be strong and well founded in our Faith to face the challenges of Secularism and Islam who hate the Catholic Church.

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    1. Thank you Paul.
      I thunk the loss of hushed whispers was encouraged by a people-facing priest, which gives the impression of conversation from the off.
      God Bless.

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  4. Father, this is difficult to understand. Before the advent of the NOM, people had recourse to three missals: CTS' "A Simple Prayer Book" [5"x4"x0.25"]; the ubiquitous "Daily Missal" [6"x3.5"x1.5"]; plus the larger edition which included the Daily Offices. There are currently published a couple of TLM nominal missals, equating to the first of the three, but larger in shape, it should be reduced in size. For NOM congregations there appear to be fairly uninspiring virtual leaflets, or, a veritable tome [7"x5"x a whopping 3"] very complicated and unmanageable on every front. But both the NOM "leaflet" and the tome appear to be and are devoid of the most profound prayers, both direct and ancillary to the Mass which foster depth of prayer, of the TLM. Therefore the capacity to prayer has been lost and replaced with that which is seen as 'participation' and subject to all manner of aberration, dependent upon the celebrant.

    Some clergy, especially in bi-ritual parishes (!!!!) have to some extent bridged the problem. The TLM cannot be returned at a stroke, as was the NOM largely applied at a stroke, but an hybrid TLM/vernacular might assist.

    The trouble is: that many lay people see themselves as on a par with the priesthood and I have heard such, with my own ears, advocated by a bishop and envisaging 'a lay church'. The irony being that such was part of his homily and the 25th. Anniversary Mass of the Ordination of a priest friend.



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    1. Thank you, Sixupman.
      It is the first time I have encountered so many people going to the smallest room, which is the reason I asked them. I have a TLM in my own parish every week and have not really seem it, though never watched for it. However, there as well as at the recent Mass I have been told by some people that they find the silence difficult, and my point is that this difficulty arises from having been fed nothing but the constant dialogue and out-loud manner of N.O. for fifty years. I am as certain as I can be that we desperately need to recover silence in the liturgy. Interestingly, returning lapsed persons and converts find the silence of the TLM important and love it.
      God Bless.

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  5. Father,
    When ever I discuss with friends or work colleges about the Mass I attend, generally they do not seem to know about the Mass being a sacrifice. If they find what I discuss with them interesting (often they don't!) I offer to send them a link to a meditation on the sacrifice of the Mass. This video is a much see, a beautiful meditation, and if one watches the whole thing from start to finish (28mins) and reflects upon it, cannot fail to highlight the gulf between the Norvus Ordo ("A banal on the spot fabrication" -Cardinal Ratzinger) and the Mass of all ages. It speaks more than any words I can offer
    See link below Father
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZurFnbV_2U&feature=youtu.be

    Stephen P

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    1. Thank you Stephen.
      I do hope the link you have forwarded helps people to understand the Mass at a deeper level that simply saying words and performing actions.
      God Bless.

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  6. Thank you for your column, which I enjoy reading. As dithering Anglican who has been attending the TLM at various London churches over the last year or so, I'm surprised by what you record, which is not something I've seen, and I've been there to watch, learn and try to understand. One thing which has struck me is how well children of a wide range of ages seem to behave at the TLM. In fairness, a good Catholic friend recommended a missal which has been invaluable; my attention might well have wandered without it

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    1. Thank you for the comment.
      I have not seen it until the recent occasion, which is why it came as such a shock and had me asking them 'why'. Use of a Missal does indeed help. Children are generally well-behaved at the TLM, though I know of one or two who have not yet attained an age where they are conscious of the silence and enter into it.
      God Bless.
      PS I hope you are able to bring your 'dithering' to a grace-filled conclusion.

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  7. Speaking of children at TLM Mass; is it not true that the introduction of Children's Liturgy which replaced what I & many others learned at the side of parents accustom children to the 'noise' of some OF Masses. The children come back into church & the celebrant (often) converses with them about which pictures they have drawn etc. I went to Mass with my father (my mother not then being Catholic) & he pointed out to me (quietly) what the priest was doing throughout the Mass. I had a child's missal with which I followed Mass.
    It seems that now even our bishop has noticed the prayerful silence in the EF Mass & commented very positively on 2/3 occasions.
    One of the very many things I learned from the Penny Catechism was that "prayer is the raising up of the mind & heart to God". It must be very difficult to do this as you eagerly await your next response.

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    1. Thank you David,
      I was one of those who years ago used to ask the children what they had been doing, but realised I broke my own and well as everyone else's liturgical and prayerful attention.
      God Bless.

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  8. A true but sad observation of how well the devil has established the culture of noise so that no truth can get through into their heart, and the attention span can now be measured in seconds. In some places the noise has gotten so bad that the petrol pumps display TV ads on screens when filling your petrol tank. You can't get in a Pater Noster or Ave Maria in that environment. And "active participation" in the Novus Ordo setting has meant that the people must be "doing something" (holding hand, wandering everywhere for the sign of peace, etc) or have pop-rock bands playing at Mass to keep the congregation entertained. Only severe chastisements and this poppycock being taken away will get through the noisy stoney hearts.

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    1. Thank you Remnant Clergy.
      The culture of noise is very destructive of prayer.
      God Bless.

      Delete

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