A FEW years ago my family had the tremendous blessing of going to the Tridentine Mass.
We did not feel instant liking for the old rite but we surprisingly found ourselves very much drawn to it.
Evidently, what we found off-putting at the outset were actually what later attracted us more and more to it.
We did not have a full grasp of Latin but found comfort in knowing that this was the case for several centuries with Catholics worldwide.
This was the exact same Mass that linked us with our earliest predecessors in the faith, including a vast majority of saints!
Latin is set apart from worldly familiarity, so it made us feel as if we were stepping onto a higher level of worship.
The Tridentine Rite is such a beautiful liturgy fittingly expressed in such a glorious and exhilarating language!
Latin does not evolve, so the theology and meaning of the Mass is not distorted or misunderstood but safeguarded and preserved.
The priest stands before God’s altar to offer not only his prayers but those of the faithful, highlighting the sacrificial nature and God-centredness of the Mass.
The old rite is strikingly more silent, giving the sense of it being much more prayerful.
Not having to listen out for prompts, one is able to be more absorbed into the mystery unfolding at the altar: the unbloody re-enactment of Calvary, the holiest of all sacrifices!
The priest strictly adheres to the missal – from the liturgy to the rubrics, leaving no room for “personalisation”.
Catholic Liturgy, contrary to popular opinion, is not about being entertained by the priest. It is the worship of God.
Also captivating were: the repeated genuflections of the priest; the congregation receiving communion on the tongue while kneeling, only from the consecrated hands of the ordained priest – reminding us of the august, divine Presence and foster utmost reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist; the beautiful priestly vestments rich in symbolism; and the intoxicating Gregorian chant – always an enhancement to the liturgy – lifting the soul inexplicably into an even more prayerful disposition.
Mass is the highest form of worship and finding a liturgical rite that offers us the opportunity to worship with the greatest possible reverence, order and dignity is indeed a priceless gift.
CYNDEE ARANDA-MATEO
Sandgate, Qld.
