The Second Vatican Council has been described as ‘the great grace bestowed on the Church in the twentieth century’ (Novo Millennio Ineunte, #57).
The first document promulgated by the Second Vatican Council was Sacrosanctum Consilium (the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). One of the key reforms that the Council affirmed in this document was the assembly’s full, conscious and active participation (#14).
Of late there have been a number of articles written in the Leader’s Opinion page by individuals who are passionate about the Tridentine Rite.
The authors of these articles have spoken about being ‘captivated and intoxicated’ by their experience of the liturgy – but is this what the Council fathers had in mind?
In Liturgy Lines (13/05/2007), Elizabeth Harrington wrote ‘The gap between the Tridentine Mass and the current Order of the Mass is not so much one of language as an underlying theology of who celebrates the liturgy and what elements are of central importance.’
The current Order of the Mass has a genuine richness to it.
The rite allows us to experience and deepen our relationship with God the Father, through Christ in the Spirit.
It achieves this by placing emphasis on the whole assembly (that is Priest as head and people as body) as they gather around the altar table.
It is at the altar table where the assembly join to the sacrifice of Christ through their participation in song, prayers, responses, gesture and movement.
In this way we see that it is not the priest alone who celebrates the liturgy, but all gathered for worship.
Furthermore when the people aren’t practicing full, conscious and active participation, the Body of Christ is weakened.
I encourage young and old alike to approach the Mass with a new vigour by ringing out the responses, singing with gusto, praying deeply, and being involved in unifying gestures and movement.
In this way we come to the priceless gift of the Eucharist with the greatest possible reverence and dignity.
PAUL CATCHLOVE
Sunnybank, Qld
