I want to work in DC!

Ok, not really, only kind of because we ended up going to mass at Old St. Mary's today. Wonderful homily about St. Cecilia and her witness and martyrdom that father tied in with current issues facing faithful Catholics, but I digress. He announced there is going to be a daily EF mass at 8am starting next month. It is experimental as they will need to make certain they have an altar server every day as well as a congregation, but they will try.

So, for the only time in history you are going to witness me stating, I wish I worked in Washington, DC.

So, a new translation of the mass

The US Catholic bishops voted today to proceed with new new translations of the Roman Missal. Hmmm, reminds me when I looked at the English translations in my 1662 missals and saw....English translations. For a bit a though ran through my mind...why did they need to re-translate what had been translated? I know they added Eucharistic prayers 2-4 etc, but I wondered, why do all that and make all of those changes? More on that later. In the mean time, at least at daily mass the Confiteor will not be merrily skipping over he mea culpas. Yes, Virginia, it is good for our souls to recognize and acknowledge that we mess up.

I love some comments I have read indicating some "liberal" Catholics don't like the new translations as they don't use "everyday English".... Um, so the folk songs, banners and kindergarten theology maybe were not the best way to encourage a thinking, prayerful, eucharistic people of God? Go figure.

I think I need to start praying a novena that the bishops will vote to make at least one weekend mass in each parish a latin Novus Ordo....that might make some wall start falling.

Ummm, why can't I hear the priest? NOW I know

I have read a few writings here or there where someone states the first time they attended a TLM mass they were so struck by the solemnity and beauty etc. Ok, I confess the first tlm I attended I was just confused and I had a missal. This was years ago and was the first or one of the first indult masses allowed in Columbus, OH. I knew it in Latin of course and I knew they priest would be facing the same direction of the congregation. I did not know or understand the difference between a high mass and a low mass and and had no clue that, since this mass would be a low mass, you would not hear what the priest was saying. Of course, since I am a post-Vatican II convert, all I knew was the of "dialog" mass. That first time I kept wondering why there were parts for a response and no one was making a response! I did attend one or may two more of those indult masses and later, attended TLM nuptual mass and a high mass (the first or one of the first offered in Phoenix- yea, Bishop Olmstead!) I had a respect and attraction for Latin and I definitely preferred chant.

So what is different now? Perhaps some is age. I think alot is recognizing how much our holy father's wishes (John Paul II and now Benedict's) have been ignored by some bishops, liturgists and music directors. Per the visitation of seminaries in 1986, all seminarians were supposed to be able to celebrate mass in the vernacular and Latin and church documents on the liturgy since the 1970's have indicated Gregorian chant was supposed to have pride of place in the music for mass. And "Gather Us In" fits into that how?

I know I have changed and that the first week we went to the EF mass this past April I wondered what had taken me so long. I notice a difference with my two year old in her attentiveness when we attend the EF vs when we go to an OF for daily mass. Don't get me wrong, she is a two year old, but I see a difference.

And for a last bit of housekeeping, I know that our Holy Father in his Motu Proprio refers to the EF- extraordinary form of the mass (Tridentine) and the OF- ordinary form of he mass (Novus Ordo). Depending on my mood and what I am discussing I may use TLM-traditional latin mass, which is how many used to and still do refer to the EF/Tridentine. Confused :) I hope not.

Pax

Dilegere VS Amare beginning musings

I have been thinking about starting this blog since June of this year. I had an idea what I wanted to convey, but I did not know what I wanted to call the blog. So, I spent some time pondering, thinking and reading. See, prior to April of this year, though I felt and attraction for Latin and grew to love, sing and study Latin hymns and Gregorian chant I felt a preference for the novus ordo mass. I was blessed to attend a church in Columbus, Ohio where the novus ordo is celebrated with reverence in a church that still uses its communion rail, confession is offered daily (yes that includes Sunday BEFORE every mass, the preaching is outstanding, and the parish community is wonderful.

Then, after marriage, I moved to Maryland...to the suburbs...where most of the churches in this area were built after 1970. I pause for a second for those who understand to consider the...adjustment.

After one too many times enduring "Gather Us In" and "Lord of the Dance" it got so that I frankly dreaded and avoided mass. Advent, Christmas and Easter season were pretty much the only times the music was tolerable. I did enjoy mass at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, but it was about a 40 minute drive each way. Same for the only novus ordo Latin mass in the Archdiocese.

I was aware there was a Tridentine (EF) mass in Silver Spring, but it was at 8am and though I had been to EF masses, had several missals for the traditional Latin mass (story for another time), and had attended several low and high masses, I preferred a Latin novus ordo.

By Easter of this year, I had had enough. I knew I needed to find some parish where my heart could rest in Him so I decided to start attending the EF mass in Silver Spring even though I felt I would not like it as much as the OF. So, after being too slow to make the mass on Easter (Basilica Shrine mass that day) I bundled up my daughter (only other one conscious at 7am) and we went to the 8am EF mass.

Sometimes conversions take time but when the occur. So- back to the title of this blog. Latinist (of which I am not) may say amare is a stronger verb of love in Latin than diligere. But, diligere has a connotation of a choice. "Sic Deus dilexit mundum"- "For God so loved the world."

My blog's site is an homage (ok, blatant procuring) of the wording of a bumper sticker made by one of our TLM community members- Amo Missam Latinam-I love the Latin Mass but my blog title is who I am- Woman who loves the Latin Mass.