The following comes from a Sept. 16 story by Msgr. Charles Pope on the websire of the Archdiocese of Washington.
1. When making the sign of the cross upon himself at the beginning of mass the Celebrant uses his right hand. But his left hand should not be left suspended in the air or dangling. He ought to place it on his chest, just at the bottom of the breast bone as he makes the sign of the cross with his right hand. When finished his hands should be rejoined in the center.
2. The same is true when blessing the people at the end. The celebrant places his left hand at the bottom of his chest and he blesses the people with his right hand: fingers joined and straight. His right and left motions should reach far enough, to his left and right shoulders. Again, when finished, his hands should join in the center.
3. The hands – In general when the celebrant is standing and his hands are not in use they are joined, fingers straight and thumbs crossed at his breast. When the celebrant is seated, his hands should rest, separated, palms down, one on each thigh, near the knee.
4. When the celebrant moves somewhere in the sanctuary, he ought to turn in that direction, hands joined at the chest, prior to moving in that direction. In general simply stepping laterally to the left or right should be avoided.
5. The bowing of the head – It is appropriate at Mass to bow the head at certain times, such as after the priest says, Let us pray,” or at the name of Jesus. The simple bow of the head is accomplished entirely by the neck. The shoulders do not lunge and the torso does not move at all. The neck is like a hinge and the bow of the head is accomplished entirely at the neck and above.
6. Turning pages – When the priest is at the altar and turns the page of the missal, he does so (usually) with his left hand, while his right hand rests on the altar, not suspended in the air or dangling.
7. Epiclesis – Likewise when the priest makes the sign of the cross over the bread and wine just prior to the consecration he does so with his right hand, while his left hand rests on the altar, just outside the corporal. The left hand is not dangling in the air etc.
Well this is enough, since most of you are not priests. However, it is always good for the laity to encourage those of us who are priests when you observe reverence. We are human and can become forgetful of things in the Mass. Sometimes too we are not aware of how we come across. So, encourage us when you observe devotion and piety. Some years ago it was called to my attention that I tended to fiddle with my glasses a good bit when at the altar and that sometimes my fingers moved a lot when I was praying the Eucharistic prayer. I was unaware of these things and was (kindly) informed by the deacon….
To read the entire story, click here.
and after the altar when shaking hands with people at the door, look each one on the face and not over the shoulder to the next person in line.
Caroline, very good advice!
There’s nothing worse that feeling as if the priest is already bored with you, even before you finish saying, “Good morning, Father.”
GOOD! Interesting the author missed that one — the only one of importance!
This is very easy to answer, a return to The Traditional Latin Mass the “Mass of All Times” wil solve this issue!! The TLM will never die or go away how can it when Our Lord created it!!
Did Our Lord really create the Tridentine Mass?
I have never noted Him, in Sacred Scripture or any other place, using a paten, a maniple, or a biretta. Nor did he celebrate the Last Supper in Latin. And I’ve never seen Our Lord wearing lace, a fiddleback chasuble, or an amice.
The Tridentine Mass is very nice, I’m sure, but it is certainly not the center of the universe, and not even of the Catholic world. We have various rites in our beloved Church, and no one rite, such as the TLM, is superior to any other.
Wrong on all points Suzanne, your dislike of the Mass of the Saints and Martyrs is sad indeed.
My, my, Janek, you seem quite grouchy today.
I have no dislike of the Tridentine Mass.
Rather, I have experienced Catholic Mass in various forms and find God reaching out to one in all of them, even if the priest is not terribly bright, even if the people are in a bit of a stupor, and even if the chanting is not always of excellent quality.
But then, I probably would have been very happy indeed at the Last Supper, had I been invited, and there were no Tridentine elements there. In fact, no European elements at all, I would guess.
The Eastern Divine Liturgy of St. Basil is older, longer, more complicated and FAR more beautiful than the EF Mass. The limits of your exposure to the Church is clearly painful…
Suzanne, I would beg to differ. The Tridentine Mass is most certainly the center of the universe. The offering of the Son to His Father; I don’t think it gets any more ‘center of the universe’ than this. Sounds like you have never been to a Tridentine Mass.
The Holy Father’s comments in his recent interview about the Tridentine Mass. I believe he is attempting to correct errors such as this one that place the TLM in an ideologically superior position to the New Order of Mass.
Your Fallen Catholic
You have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Catholic faith.
The TLM is my preference. It is not superior , it has a better presentation. No form of any mass/liturgy is superior to another. The main purpose of any mass/liturgy is the consecration.
It all depends on the “presenter.” I’ve sat through some 16 minute low EF Masses that were painfully utilitarian and rushed.
Sheila, that is true of any Mass.
I’m don’t want to go back and forth here. I agree with Janek, besides I would assume the article is about Priests and the New Mass and not the Tridentine Mass. I pray that some day it will be the only mass, where the focus at mass is our Lord and 0nly our Lord.
Actually, the TLM is superior to the Novus Ordo in many ways, most obviously because it is a far more accurate presentation of the faith, with the priest physically postured (away from the people) to act as intermediary to God on behalf of the congregation. The focus of the TLM is firmly centered on the re-presentation of the Sacrifice of the Cross, rather than on a community of gladhanders in the pews. Many features of the Novus Ordo, such as communion in the hand, communion under both species, absence of kneeling for communion, eucharistic ministers, etc., all ‘protestantize’ the Mass, by diminishing the stature of the priest vis a vis the congregation. Of course this should be no surprise as the Novus Ordo resulted in part from the work of a panel of prostestant ministers invited to advise at Vatican II! The TLM developed over centuries, sadly it was discarded from general use in less than a decade.
Stop reading crack-pot websites. Do the Year of Faith readings.
past tense. Wait wait wait. Communion under both species, with the celebrant facing the people, and taken in the hand “protestantizes” the Mass? So Jesus was a protestant? Jesus 1) gave communion under both species, 2) shared a meal with them, which means he presumably faced the apostles, and 3) we have no record that when he said “take this”, he meant anything other than the regular way one consumes bread which is by receiving it in the hand or picking it up and placing it in the Apostle’s own mouth. This notion that post V2 reforms do nothing but to bring us closer to the ritual that He himself instituted are simply ahistorical at best.
Jesus was/is God, so He did not act as an intermediary; He handed communion under both species to those who would be the first priests. “Jesus was a protestant?” Is that an argument? You people are so sadly re-conditioned by the dumbing down of the last 50 years it’s pathetic. That the Novus Ordo contains similarities to a protestant presentation isn’t even remotely disputable. You might want to ask yourselves what you think you’re gaining by your intransigence against the TLM, when you haven’t a clue as to what it is /means. Did you even stop to consider that the changes to the GIRM are all about? They’re not about the timelessness of the Novus Ordo, that’s for sure. The Novus Ordo should never have happened. The change was forced down Catholics’ throats. You obviously didn’t live through it.
From one who did live through it, I wouldn’t know if it was similar to a protestant presentation because I have never attended one. Remember when we weren’t supposed to do that? I guess you have. Are you sure they didn’t copy us?
past tense. When Jesus took the cup and gave it to his disciples and said do THIS to remember me, I don’t think it is dummying anything down to dispute your claim that to offer communion under both species is an abuse a la protestantism. We are copying Jesus, not protestants when we do THIS. And by the way, I did live through the liturgical changes. I’m a convert to Catholicism in large part because of the liturgical reforms.
Art 1. The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the ‘Lex orandi’ (Law of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. Nonetheless, the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same ‘Lex orandi,’ and must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage. These two expressions of the Church’s Lex orandi will in no any way lead to a division in the Church’s ‘Lex credendi’ (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages of the one Roman rite. Pope Benedict XVI Summorum Pontificum
Pope Francis: “What is worrying, though, is the risk of the ideologization of the Vetus Ordo, its exploitation.”
And here, Past Tense, is where we find you — putting the Tridentine Mass on some pedestal.
If you find the TLM pretty, well, that’s all very nice, and I wish you well.
But it is not superior to Mass in Spanish celebrated in some poor Mexican village. Or Mass in French celebrated at Notre Dame Cathedral. You are very much mistaken.
Actually both the OF Mass and the EF Mass (and the Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgies) are absolutely equal in the grace they effuse onto us…
The fact that you don’t know that suggests you need basis catechesis.
Pope Francis: I think the decision of Pope Benedict (his decision of July 7, 2007 to allow a wider use of the Tridentine Mass) was prudent and motivated by the desire to help people who have this sensitivity. What is worrying, though, is the risk of the ideologization of the Vetus Ordo, its exploitation.”
Did Our Lord really create the Tridentine Mass?
I have never noted Him, in Sacred Scripture or any other place, using a paten, a maniple, or a biretta.
Yes, our Lord created the Latin Mass. Sola scriptura is a discredited divisive ideology that does not come from Christ.
Dear me — now we’re moving not only to capital letters, but even to bold print.
How very loud.
Western Schnieder, I would be so grateful to learn when Our Lady created the Tridentine Mass — any guidance you can provide could benefit us all.
And surprise Our Lord, no doubt.
Its simple, Schnieder see the Church as it sees itself. The Church is Christ, the bride of Christ and only acts as Christ wishes.
Suzanne,
Before you make such statements ” no one rite, such as the TLM, is superior to any other.” , let us ask one very pertinent questions, have you ever compared the two Rites? Have you ever noticed how many things were eliminated from the Tridentine Mass in the Novus Ordo Mass? Have you compared the “Confiteor” in each Mass? Had you done so, you would notice how the laity are now placed before the Blessed Mother and the Saints in the Novus Ordo version.
May God have mercy on an amoral America!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Have you ever considered that extra verbiage not not make the dead mass any better than the OF Mass?
Have you also considered your lack of authority?
Kenneth, I have compared the two, and I would say that overall the New Order Mass brings me the reader closer to the true nature of the Mass. Others may differ, but that is my opinion. And insofar as the Church offers us two equally valid options of celebrating the Mass, I will opt for the Ordinary Form, which brings the People of God closer to the meaning of the Last Supper, in my opinion.
And your opinion being an avid member of the homo-sex left is not only wrong but irrelevant ….
Canisius, your opinion is nasty and uncalled for.
What’s the matter YFC, don’t like it when the truth kicks you in the teeth.
A M E N !!!
I can only wonder how Pope Francis would react to this article.
Amen! Amen! and Amen!
The EF Mass is sure dead (or on palliative care) around here…
AMEN, Suzanne.
I agree with Sheila. It does read as though Suzanne needs some historical and liturgical education.
Oh, Larry, I’m sure we could ALL benefit from some [more] historical and liturgical education.
Why don’t you write a nice book on the subject, and we can all purchase a copy?
Msgr. Pope is right on. The photo accompanying this article is not used on the Msgr.’s posting. In the above photo the Deacon is praying in the Orans posture. A Deacon is never to do this. He does not represent the people before God. The priest should cover his Roman collar.
You’re talking smack…
A deacon is not to assume a concelebrating priests’ posture (left hand on heart and right hand extended) during the consecration.
There is NO official rubric that suggests a deacon (or layperson) cannot otherwise assume the orans position.
You’re simply making stuff up.
Just say the Mass of all time — the Tridentine Mass. No additional directions needed.
Pope Francis: “If the Christian is a restorationist, a legalist, if he wants everything clear and safe, then he will find nothing. Tradition and memory of the past must help us to have the courage to open up new areas to God. Those who today always look for disciplinarian solutions, those who long for an exaggerated doctrinal ‘security,’ those who stubbornly try to recover a past that no longer exists—they have a static and inward-directed view of things. In this way, faith becomes an ideology among other ideologies. I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else—God is in this person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life. Although the life of a person is a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God.”
What has this to do with Mass? I beleive you are misrepresenting the Holy Fathers Comments.
Wes, do you not know the term Pope Francis used, “restorationist?”
Just check a little dictionary, and you’ll get the link.
Tradition and memory of the past is supposedly what instigated the innovations of the New Mass, Suzanne. That said, the New Mass could be said to have been, not a stubborn attempt to recoup a past that was gone and no longer existed, but rather a foolhardy one that has led to rampant apostasy, liturgical abuse, and much confusion.
As for ‘trust in God’, why is it that modernists cannot trust in the Spirit that is moving through the Traditionalist movement? A movement that far from rejecting sinners, calls them back to the fullness of the Gospel. Traditional communities are growing, too. Why is that?
Sounds like a lesson in ballroom dancing. Most priests are reverent at Mass and not going out of their way to be disrespectful, so increased “hand action” won’t change things. The interior of the soul is where the reverence is and it flows outward. The recommended hand changes are too clerical and look like window dressing.
There is clearly time needed to resolve obvious issues with the Roman Rite of the Church. The Council only happened 50 years ago. Also important is to note that the Lord took his beloved St. Pio on September 23, 1968. The Mass of Pope Paul VI was introduced in 1969. Why is it our Lord never allowed St. Priest Pio to celebrate the new Mass? Its also clear from Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI that the new mass has issues.
The constant revisions to the rublics to bring it closer to the old, the Mortu Proprio and the instruction by Pope Francis to Bishop Domenico Padovano that The old mass is not to be touched” Pope Francis goes on to say “vigilant over the extremism of certain traditionalist groups but also suggesting that they should treasure tradition and create the necessary conditions so that tradition might be able to live alongside innovation
we don’t have problems with tradition living along side innovation. What we have problems with are those who believe that the mass in both species is an innovation and contrary to the Mass of the Last Supper, and that we are in error who believe that participants at the First Mass received communion in the hand.
your fallen away Catholic,
Those words by Schnieder are direct quotes of Pope Francis.
I will go with the pope over you who has demonstrated over time to have no understanding of the Catholic faith.
Please Chinua, go ahead, insult me and the faith we share all you wish. I shall offer you the other cheek.
I prefer serving the Host and Sacred Blood by intinction, but not many priest do it. It is done at all Byzantine Masses. Intinction means when the priest dips the sacred Host in the Sacred Blood and puts both on the tongue of the communicant.
Oops! I meant I prefer when the priest serves by intinction.
“Serving?”
My dear, you are making it sound like a cocktail party.
One does not “serve” the Most Holy Eucharist, one administers It.
As for personal preferences, these are lovely, but, as the term clearly indicates, personal.
The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, teaches that eating the Body of Christ and drinking his Precious Blood are the ideal way to receive Communion — intinction, dipping, etc., are not seen as ideal.
G.I.R.M. “281. Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it takes place under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clearer expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the connection between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Kingdom of the Father…Furthermore, they should teach that the Church, in her administration of the Sacraments, has the power to lay down or alter whatever provisions, apart from the substance of the Sacraments, that she judges to be more readily conducive to reverence for the Sacraments and the good of the recipients, in view of changing conditions, times, and places. However, at the same time the faithful should be instructed to participate more readily in this sacred rite, by which the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is made more fully evident.”
In other words, IT’S BETTER TO DRINK FROM THE CHALICE THAT TO AVOID THE CHALICE.
(And, for those who will argue that the GIRM, the General Instruction for the Roman Missal, is ‘not Church teaching,’ well, excuse me, but it does lay out liturgical law, and it does come from the Vatican, not from loon in Malibu.)
Youch, Suzanne. The condescending use of ‘my dear’ in your post is very telling. Also your mention of the GRM smacks pretty close to being “… a legalist, if he wants everything clear and safe, then he will find nothing.”
How is it that you can claim Traditionalists are somehow legalists who want everything clear and safe and yet do the very same thing yourself in dogmatically quoting the GIRM?
Not very open to the Spirit!
Western Schnieder,
Are you sure of those dates? I read that St. Padre Pio said the Novus Ordo once, returned to the Sacristy pale as a sheet, immediately asked for an Indult which was also immediately granted, and never again said the Novus Ordo Mass!
May God have mercy on an amoral America!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Those dates are true. I checked them against his post. So, Yes, Padre Pio could not have celebrated the new Mass.
If St. Pius got so rattled by celebrating the Mass (whether it be in Italian, Spanish, Latin or English), he was perhaps having what we call A Very Bad Day.
Our pastor was rattled just this morning, but it was easy to see why: one mom had brought in a baby who screamed throughout the entire Liturgy, which was distracting for him.
Perhaps St. Pius of Pietrelcina (aka “Padre Pio”) had trouble adapting to CHANGE, and thus celebrating the Mass you speak of rattled his nerves a bit. I’m still having trouble getting the responses right at Mass, and it’s been two years since we got them from the Holy See…
Suzanne, I wonder how old you are and I wonder why you are writing as if you have all the answers regarding Mass. Go to the Mass you like and allow other people to go to the Mass they like. I like the High TLM at St. John the Baptist Church in Costa Mesa, CA on Sunday at 12:30 pm. Definitely, it is my favorite. I agree with Joe who thinks the focus at mass should be our Lord and only our Lord. The TLM is completely focused on our Lord. If you go to Mass only for one hour on Sunday, you should be focused on our Lord. You should not be focused on the people sitting next to you. It’s not a party for you and the other people attending. It’s about our Lord and you thinking only about Him. I believe God hasn’t given you the grace to understand the beauty of the TLM. Maybe, someday you will understand…..Have you ever prayed at a Planned Parenthood to save babies from abortion? 40 Days for Life is coming up. Check with your Catholic Church to see if they are going to participate.
Aside from the sign of peace, there is no focus on the people sitting next to you. The focus is on the Lord. The Mass is the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary made present. It is not a party. Suzanne has not said anything against the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. She has spoken up against error. The insults to the Holy Mass should cease and those who insult our Lord thus should repent.
Anonymous, it all depends on what Catholic church one goes to. In some in my area it was getting out of hand but thankfully most have been reigned in so the emphasis is on the Lord and not the priest or congregation.
“Suzanne” is right on with her comments. It’s remarkable that others believe they know more than the Catholic Church. That the EF Mass is somehow “better” than the OF Mass. Such comments are inaccurate and downright sad.
Follow the Church and not your egos, tridentiners…
Do some research on the ‘why’ of the Latin Mass. There is no ego involved, R.B. (Just understandable frustration).
As to ‘knowing more than the Catholic Church’, you may be surprised to learn as I surely was that there was a lot more involved in Vatican II changes than simply a united front of Catholic Bishops moving toward a purported springtime. If only it were so straightforward. But it wasn’t/isn’t.
Pax
Pro life Mom, I agree with you. I used to love to watch Pope Benedict say the Mass, whether it was the Traditional one or the post Vatican II one. He was such an expert on the the history of the Mass that he did it so gracefully that it did look like a beautiful liturgical dance without being such, and the emphasis was all on the Lord and not him. I recommend his book on the liturgy, “The Spirit of the Liturgy”, by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.
Nevertheless, Suzanne did bring up some good points in some of her posts.
Pro-Life Mom, I suppose I should curtsy or bow before your qualifications, but I shall refrain from doing so.
Mass is NOT only about focusing on the Lord but also focusing on the real human being (made in the image and likeness of God) who gather with us each Sunday — otherwise, each believer would have his own private Mass, and thus not have to be distracted by the riffraff in the next pew.
“Whoever welcomes one child such as this welcomes Me…” Jesus said, as one of only MANY utterances that bring up down from the clouds and remind us that He died on the Cross to save US — not just “me.”
We should be cognizant of our fellow worshippers, especially those who have just lost a loved one, those who might be returning to church for the first time in twenty years, and those who might have had a terrible week. In addition to Our Lady, His people should reach out to these needy souls, or we’re just behaving like Protestants, worried about “our personal Lord and Savior” and our “personal salvation.”
Such thinking is very un-Catholic, you know. That’s why we called ourselves Church — as opposed to me, me, me.
You are correct in that we should help our neighbor, Suzanne. And focusing on Our Lord during Mass, giving Him undivided adoration and attention is doing precisely that. (Maintaining a prayerful demeanor during Mass also aids others in their uniting in the Holy Sacrifice.)
The recognition of neighbor in the way you suggest is also critical. But not right in the midst of Mass. There is a time and place for everything.
As for curtseying and/or bowing, why the anger?
How can Mass not lead us to focus on the person next to us? Isn’t that the ultimate outcome of a Mass well attended? For us to focus on the least among us?
Perhaps we should focus on the truly least among us during mass – ourselves. That is, stop looking outward to who you believe needs help at the present and concentrate on your own deficiency.
In the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, the Pharisee was not only lauding his own goodness, but was focusing on the Publican and how this wretched soul was so much lower than he. The Publican was focused on his own spiritual poverty – a conversation wholly absorbed with God and himself.
That’s the kind of perspective I prefer in Mass.
I just went back and read the article to which we are supposed to respond and I am amazed at the trite content. These suggestions leave me speechless. Priests give up so much to dedicate their lives to the Lord and to saving souls. Ministering to the laity is such an enormous job. Give me a break….and PLEASE…give priests a break. The banality of this article has me talking to myself and I don’t think that’s good. God bless good priests and let’s pray for the “bad apples” among the good ones to bring them back to the Truth of Jesus Christ. So many prayers are needed.
Pro-life Mom,
So now properly adhering to the Rubrics has become banal?
May God have mercy on an amoral America!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Who actually took the time to think about this and write it up? Some anal control freak? I can’t believe I actually read such unimportant garbage. As the old saying goes, “get a life”!
Most historical experts on Latin Rite liturgy agree that the OF Mass is far closer in formulation than the EF Mass when it comes to ancient practices.
The notion of a fiddleback chasuble or sheer lingerie albs in the early church is laughable.
Oh! good grief. They both are, each in its own way. Remember the early Roman Christians did not always worship the same way as the early Greek Christians, nor Hebrew Christians nor the Indian Christians and so forth. None can be said to be “just the way the Lord Jesus did it”.
John 13:34
” A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ” Douay-Rheims
RB Rodda writes “sheer lingerie albs” = translation = Another sadistic comment that sadly first flows from an *already wounded heart*, then to the mind and then to the keyboard to deliberately wound the hearts of others in return. The devil is always proud of the very cruel and divisive works of a Schadenfreude.
RB, There have been *a couple of times* where your posts actually showed such incredible compassion and truth when expressing advice and thoughts for fellow Catholics. If you personally enjoyed writing that vulgar quote, and it sounds like you did, then Christ is not reigning supreme in your heart. You should not enjoy hurting others, no matter what pain that you have personally suffered.
Schadenfreude – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Look up schadenfreude in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Schadenfreude i/ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə/ (German: [ˈʃaːdənˌfʁɔʏdə]) is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.[1] This word is a loanword from German. The literal English translation is ‘Harm-Joy’. It is the feeling of joy or pleasure when one sees another fail or suffer misfortune. It is also borrowed by some other languages.
God bless you Catherine.
This is exatly the kind of discussion and topic that Francis our Pope has asked us not to do any more. Nothing in this article is about practicing our faith, helping the poor and destitute, but only about rules, regulations and things some people think is important. If these hand gestures are important to you, you should take a course in the Catholic faith and find out what it is really about. Practicing our faith means being in the streets helping people and bringing them to Christ. Not something so trivial as this article.
Well to bad Bob One, this is NOT dogmatic/doctrinal matter so we are allowed to disagree…You and your liberal cadres have so maligned the Faith, you think its all about being nice and feeding people, but you of course omit its primary job is the salvation of souls…
Bob,
What could be more important than worshiping the Almighty God?
CCC 2133 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength
St. Justin Martyr on the celebration of Mass “in the old days” (rather simple, rather down to earth…):
“On Sunday we have a common assembly of all our members, whether they live in the city or the outlying districts. The recollections of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as there is time. When the reader has finished, the president of the assembly speaks to us; he urges everyone to imitate the examples of virtue we have heard in the readings. Then we all stand up together and pray.
“On the conclusion of our prayer, bread and wine and water are brought forward. The president offers prayers and gives thanks to the best of his ability, and the people give assent by saying, “Amen”. The Eucharist is distributed, everyone present communicates, and the deacons take it to those who are absent.
“The wealthy, if they wish, may make a contribution, and they themselves decide the amount. The collection is placed in the custody of the president, who uses it to help the orphans and widows and all who for any reason are in distress, whether because they are sick, in prison, or away from home. In a word, he takes care of all who are in need.
“We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight and created the world, and because on that same day our savior Jesus Christ rose from the dead. For he was crucified on Friday and on Sunday he appeared to his apostles and disciples and taught them the things that we have passed on for your consideration..”
Again, Suzanne, you make the point of accusing Traditionalists of trying to recapture a past that is gone while outlining the exact same thing in your supposed attempt to recapture Biblical times.
The Spirit moves where He will. There is much fruit in the Latin Mass community. Why close your mind and heart to it in a stubborn effort to cleave to a past that no longer exists?