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.