I FELT LIKE I HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN--THAT'S THE SPIRITUALITY AND ETHOS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS WHICH IS VERY MUCH LIKE THE EASTERN ORTHODOX'S EXPERIENCE OF THE DIVINE LITURGY--REAL ECUMENISM ANYONE?

Our Solemn High Mass tonight looked just like this! I'm the one with the glasses, the middle one is Fr. Dawid acting as Deacon and the last one is Deacon Don Coates acting as sub deacon (real pictures to come in a few days!

We just concluded our Solemn Sung Extraordinary Form Mass with deacon and sub deacon for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To say it was glorious is an understatement. I want to thank our combined choirs under the direction of Ms. Nelda Chapman and our assistant organist Mr. Harold McManus and our adult EF servers, our Deacon Don Coates and our Parochial Vicar, Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowksi. Fr. Dawid acting as the deacon chanted the Gospel in Latin flawlessly. I've only heard the Gospel sung in Latin this way since Vatican II in Rome, never in little old Georgia! But of course it took a Polish priest to do it in Georgia. My Latin chanting of the Collect, Preface and Post Communion Prayers wasn't bad either if I do say so my self!

There is no doubt in my mind that Pope Benedict should be made a saint for allowing the older order of the Mass back into common use. It is a no-brainer!

I had people come to me after Mass with tears in their eyes saying how much they felt they were in heaven. In fact I believe the Orthodox have a saying that if the Lord's Second Coming occurred while people were at Divine Liturgy, they wouldn't know the difference!

The EF Mass is more closely aligned with the Eastern Orthodox liturgy in ethos and spirituality. The same holds true of the EF's Solemn Form we celebrated tonight. True ecumenism means recovering the ethos and spirituality of the Western Liturgy which is more similar to the Orthodoxy's experience of liturgy than what the post Vatican II renewal of the Liturgy is. The post Vatican II renewal of the Liturgy pandered to the Protestant Reformation's deconstruction of the liturgy and the priesthood (both are intimately tied together)and thus moved us away from the Orthodox Church which has more in common with the faith and morals of the Catholic Church than most Protestant Churches have with the Catholic Church.

If ecumenism is to work to bring about Christian Unity, shouldn't the first schism in that unity be addressed first? Why did Vatican II move us further away from the Orthodox when it should have moved us closer to them? Nothing makes this more evident that the "Protestantization" of our Catholic Mass and spirituality after Vatican II. But again, the real question is, "Did Vatican II actually intend that or those who designed things as they came to be after Vatican II?" That's the question that Pope Benedict has asked and it is a very good question with very important ramifications about ecumenism.

As it concerns ecumenism and SSPX, we in the Latin Rite should be rejoicing that there may well be a full integration of the SSPX with Rome and thus all of the Church in union with Rome. Are you rejoicing over that or are you anti-ecumenical when it comes to the SSPX but not so when it comes to the Presbyterians and Episcopalians who today have theologies and doctrines that are diametrically opposed to the Catholic Faith? If you love Protestant ecumenism but not that with the SSPX and the Eastern Orthodox, that says a great deal about my premise, doesn't it?

Pictures and possibly a video to be posted later!

THE BALTIMORE CATECHISM FOR ADULTS? YES, PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS ME THE BOOK!

Almost each Sunday we have an adult religious education hour following our 9:30 AM Mass, during the period of time our CCD program meets for children who do not go to Catholic school.

Our program for adults is called "Coffee and Conversation." It is meant to be informal and discussion based for the participants. This year we have been studying the USCCB's catechism which we also used for the RCIA. It is very good, but a big book packed with a great deal of good doctrine. But it can be intimidating to those who may not be inclined to read such a hefty book.

I was scheduled to lead Coffee and Conversation yesterday. Since the class was on "the resurrection of the body" I decided to use the chapter on it from the Baltimore Catechism (#2). Earlier in the year for I had used a chapter from the Baltimore Catechism (#1) which is geared to elementary age children; #2 to middle school age children.

The chapters in the Baltimore Catechism are very brief, no more than two to three pages. I feared that I wouldn't have enough information to fill the full hour. But I was wrong; there was enough discussion generated by the Baltimore Catechism's chapter on the resurrection of the body, to last more than an hour. I had to cut it short.

This is my point: the structure of the chapter, the examples that were used and simply reading the questions and answers to the adults then piqued their interest and religious imagination and there was great discussion.

Keep in mind that this catechism is for middle school children and written in a way to capture their religious imagination and make them think. It did the same for the adults yesterday. And like the adults yesterday, I was amazed at how little so many adult and children Catholics know today about the very basics of the Catholic faith.

The Baltimore Catechism is very straight forward in handing on the very basics of the faith, that which should be the foundation for any further building on the basics and developing a mature Catholic understanding of these with the various nuances that are necessary for adults.

These are the questions we went over yesterday:

LESSON THIRTY-SEVENTH ON THE LAST JUDGMENT AND THE RESURRECTION, HELL, PURGATORY, AND HEAVEN

408. Q. When will Christ judge us? A. Christ will judge us immediately after our death, and on the last day.

409. Q. What is the judgment called which we have to undergo immediately
after death?
A. The judgment we have to undergo immediately after death is called the
Particular Judgment.

410. Q. What is the judgment called which all men have to undergo on the last day? A. The judgment which all men have to undergo on the last day is called the General Judgment.

411. Q. Why does Christ judge men immediately after death? A. Christ judges men immediately after death to reward or punish them according to their deeds.

412. Q. What are the rewards or punishments appointed for men’s souls after the Particular Judgment? A. The rewards or punishments appointed for men’s souls after the Particular Judgment are Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.

413. Q. What is Hell? A. Hell is a state to which the wicked are condemned, and in which they are deprived of the sight of God for all eternity, and are in dreadful torments.

414. Q. What is Purgatory? A. Purgatory is a state in which those suffer for a time who die guilty of venial sins, or without having satisfied for the punishment due to their sins.

415. Q. Can the faithful on earth help the souls in Purgatory? A. The faithful on earth can help the souls in Purgatory by their prayers, fasts, alms-deeds; by indulgences, and by having Masses said for them.

416. Q. If every one is judged immediately after death, what need is there of a General Judgment? A. There is need of a General Judgment, though every one is judged immediately after death, that the providence of God, which, on earth, often permits the good to suffer and the wicked to prosper, may in the end appear just before all men.

417. Q. Will our bodies share in the reward or punishment of our souls? A. Our bodies will share in the reward or punishment of our souls, because through the resurrection they will again be united to them.

418. Q. In what state will the bodies of the just rise? A. The bodies of the just will rise glorious and immortal.

419. Q. Will the bodies of the damned also rise? A. The bodies of the damned will also rise, but they will be condemned to eternal punishment.

420. Q. What is Heaven? A. Heaven is the state of everlasting life in which we see God face to face, are made like unto Him in glory, and enjoy eternal happiness.

421. Q. What words should we bear always in mind? A. We should bear always in mind these words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul, or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? For the Son of man the shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then will He render to every man according to his works.”

These questions led to the reasons why the Church requires Christian burial or entombment, mutilation of the body today; organ donation and donating one's body to science; the horror of damnation as a real possibility; the nature of purgatory and other images for it; the nature of heaven and what makes us happy; the nature of our resurrected bodies and loving what we and others have through the eyes of God not through the prejudice of the world; the nature of the last judgment as a judgement on all the institutions of the world, including the Church.

We could have gone on and on! It also helped us to realize that if as adults the only catehecesis we had was the Baltimore Catechism as children, we would have the basics but we would still be infantile in terms of knowledge of God, the Church and morality, that we need to grow as adults into an adult faith to have our questions answered with more nuanced statements and discussion. But the Baltimore Catechism did that yesterday with the adults I had and the discussion it created.

If you have an adult religious education group, I recommend the Baltimore Catechism, any of them as a spring board to further discussion. It's as easy as pie!

You can find the entire Baltimore Catechism on line, but the on-line doesn't have the simple art drawings and examples that are so important too for the religious imagination. THIS IS #2 on line, press here.

INDIFFERENCE TO THE CHURCH AMONGST THE YOUNG AND LITURGICAL QUESTIONS

Would this form or image of the Mass and its spirituality and devotional quality make for more engaged young Catholics or further disengage them? Make no difference to their indifference?

I was blown away by Anonymous who commented on March 24 at 9:58 PM on Sacrosanctum Concilium and the Reform.... He is an 18 year old and made some rather profound and insightful comments concerning Vatican II and the state of young people his age today. Read his comment there. But in terms of young people's indifferentism he observes the following:

"I am an 18 year old male. I do agree that most (around 75%) of Catholic youth are disinterested in the Church, and I honestly believe this is the Church's own fault. I will, however, make one point. I do know several very interested Catholic youth (16-24) in my parish and online, and the funny thing is that we all prefer the EF, we all like Catholic tradition, and we all love strong and teaching-rich homilies. So it is true that most Catholic youth are disenchanted, but the ones who remain committed are strangely all very similar in liturgical preferences and otherwise..."

I think Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowski would also observe along with me that our young people for the most part seem indifferent to the faith, even those in our Catholic High School. They are good kids, but don't seem to have a fire in their belly for the Catholic faith, nor do they seem to have a sense of "awe and wonder" in the presence of God. Does it boil down to a lack of proper transmission of the faith and spirituality of the Church as well as a strong devotion and reverence toward God? Does the modern Mass fail to communicate to them through powerful signs the reverence that is due to God? Is there "fear of God" as one understands this as a "Gift of the Holy Spirit?" The law of prayer is the law of belief and if the law is corrupted in some form belief will also be corrupted.

The teenagers that I observe as being the most interested in the Faith of the Church and her strong spirituality and devotional life are teenagers who have parents who take a vital interest in forming their children in the ways of faith and do so at home with a powerful "home Catholic spirituality." In other words they don't leave it to others to form their children in the ways of faith; they do it themselves and through a variety of ways.

The three classes of teenagers that I have found most on fire for Jesus Christ and His Church in my 32 years of ministry are the following:

1. In Augusta, children formed by parents in a charismatic covenant community. They loved community, but more importantly they love the Lord and are willing to be followers of Him. I'm not particularly enamored with charismatic spirituality that is more Protestant than Catholic and I don't personally care for worship and praise music, especially of the charismatic kind, but something wonderful happens in these kinds of close nit communities, similar to strong ethnic (ghetto) Catholic parishes of the first half of the 20th century. My fervent prayer for the Alleluia Community is that it would move from its charismatic spirituality (which today is a bit dated) to an Extraordinary Form spirituality. But the Lord hasn't answered my prayer yet. But the Catholic kids there are very well catechized in the truths of the faith.

2. Home Schooled Catholic kids seem to be more on fire and interested in their faith too. I'm very impressed with the children of parents who use Catholic homeschooling programs, such as Seton, or any home schooling with an emphasis too on the Catholic Faith. These kids are well formed in the spirituality and traditions of the Church and they don't have to be inundated with peer pressure to appear indifferent to the Faith. I find home schooled kids to be very well rounded and sociable and know how to relate appropriately and respectfully around adults. Oh, and Seton Home Schooling curriculum uses the Baltimore Catechism for religion. I wonder if that is the elephant in the room that explains the inexplicable interest home schooling teenagers have for the faith. Of course, home schooling implies very dramatically that parents are involved intimately in all aspects of their children's education including religious formation. That is the key!

3. Teenagers who are searching for truth on their own and personally answer God's call by doing research on their own and turning to God and the Catholic Church to give their lives meaning and purpose seem to be very interested in the Church.They may be going through some kind of crisis and Catholicism is where God's actual grace has led them to find the healing, direction and purpose of life they need.

I'd like the 18 year old I note above to let us know how he became so interested in the Catholic faith, in terms of his educational and parental background.

Now to something else off-topic but maybe related:

Sacrosanctum Concilium states the following rather explicitly, although, in the modern liturgy, this Vatican II teaching has truly been ignored by modern priests who use the liturgy for their own purposes:

3. "Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority."

I don't know if there is anything official, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that with the two forms of the one Roman Rite allowed today, that there should not be mixing and matching of the two forms but respect for the two forms as they are currently designed to be celebrated according the rubrics and general instruction of each. Does anyone know of any official statement on this?

If so, this would seem to imply that the Ordinary Form is indeed a rupture with what is the basis for its reform, the Extraordinary Form, since the Ordinary Form is in fact a reform to the latter. Does this not in fact confirm the fact that there has been a rupture in how the EF Mass was reformed?

But my question concerns the OF Mass and the EF's influence upon how it can be celebrated today.Technically there is no rubric stating that either form has to be celebrated ad orientem or toward the people. One can face the altar and face the people at the same time, St. Peter's is an example. No matter what side of a free standing altar you are on, you are facing it.

However, can the following be added to the OF Mass?:

1. When celebrating ad orientem, each time the priest turns toward the congregation, may he kiss the altar as a priest must do in the EF?

2. When celebrating ad orientem, may the Collect and Post Communion Prayer be said/chanted at the Epistle side of the Altar?

3. When consecrating the Host and Precious Blood, may two genuflections as in the EF Mass be practiced for each consecration as in the EF Mass?

4. May the priest add yet another genuflection after the "Great Amen" which screams for a genuflection in the OF Mass (and was customary early on in the OF Mass, because it was prescribed in the 1965 missal which changed the rubric of the Per Ipsum and made it like the 1973 missal's ritual for it.

5. May the Penitential Act be prayed with the congregation kneeling and the priest bowing? May the profound bow of the "Incarnatus Est" of the Credo be replaced with the EF's genuflection at all OF Masses when the Creed is chanted or recited?

Can the following be allowed in the EF Mass?

1. There is explicit permission for the Scriptures to be read in the vernacular in the Low Mass without having to read them first in Latin. Does this extend to the Introit, Offertory and Communion Antiphons as well as the Last Gospel as these are Scripture too?

2. Is it allowed to read or chant the readings in the normal parish High Mass (sung) when there is no deacon or sub deacon? I believe the High Mass without deacon and sub deacon is a pastoral solution for parishes to have a sung Mass, when these parishes have no deacons and sub deacons. Am I correct about this?

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, TRANSFERRED, WITH OUR COMBINED CHOIRS SINGING SCHUBERT'S MASS IN G AND SOLEMN SUNG HIGH MASS IN THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM

Because March 25th falls on a Lenten Sunday in Passiontide, the Annunciation is transferred to Monday March 26th. I wonder if this means Christmas Day will be on Wednesday, December 26th this year? We are celebrating the Annunciation with our combined Choirs once again singing Schubert's Mass in G. The Extraordinary Form Solemn Sung High Mass will be at 7:00 PM. We will have deacon and subdeacon. Fr. Dawid will act as the deacon and will chant the Gospel in Latin. Please join us, Monday, March 26, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The following is an English translation (unofficial) of this Mass:

Psalm 44. 13, 15, 16 INTROIT

All the rich among the people shall entreat
Thy countenance: after her shall virgins be
brought to the King: her neighbors shall
be brought to thee in gladness and rejoicing.
[Alleluia, alleluia.] Ps. My heart hath
uttered a good word: I speak my works to
the King. V. Glory be to the Father.

COLLECT:

O God, who didst will that Thy Word
should take flesh, at the message of an
Angel, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, grant to Thy suppliant people, that
we who believe her to be truly the Mother
of God, may be helped by her intercession
with Thee. Through the same our Lord.

Isaias 7. 10-15 EPISTLE

In those days the Lord spoke to Achaz,
saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy
God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto
the height above. And Achaz said: I will
not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.
And He said: hear ye therefore, O house
of David: Is it a small thing for you to be
grievous to men, that you are grievous to
my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself
shall give you a sign. Behold a Virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and His Name
shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat
butter and honey, that He may know to
refuse the evil, and to choose the good.

Psalm 44. 3, 5 GRADUAL

Grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore
hath God blessed thee forever. V.
Because of truth and meekness, and justice;
and thy right hand shall conduct thee
wonderfully.

Psalm 44. 11, 12 TRACT

Hearken, O daughter, and see, incline thy
ear: for the King hath greatly desired thy
beauty. V. All the rich among the people
shall entreat thy countenance: the daughters
of kings in thine honor. V. After her
shall virgins be brought to the King: her
companions shall be brought to thee. V.
They shall be brought with gladness and
rejoicing: they shall be brought into the
temple of the King.

Luke 1. 26-28 GOSPEL

At that time the Angel Gabriel was sent
from God into a city of Galilee, called
Nazareth, to a virgin, espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the Angel being come in, said unto
her: Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with
thee: Blessed art thou among women.
Who having heard, was troubled at his
saying: and thought within herself what
manner of salutation this should be. And
the Angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for
thou hast found grace with God: behold
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His
Name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be
called the Son of the Most High, and the
Lord God shall give unto Him the throne
of David His father: and He shall reign in
the house of Jacob for ever, and of His
kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary
said to the Angel: How shall this be done,
because I know not man? And the Angel
answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of
the Most High shall overshadow thee. And
therefore also the Holy which shall be
born of thee, shall be called the Son of
God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,
she also hath conceived a son in her old
age: and this is the sixth month with her
that is called barren: because no word shall
be impossible with God. And Mary said:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it
done to me according to thy word.

Luke 1. 28, 42 OFFERTORY ANTIPHON

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with
thee: blessed art thou among women and
blessed in the fruit of thy womb.

SECRET

Strengthen in our minds, we beseech Thee,
O Lord, the mysteries of the true faith;
that we who confess Him who was conceived
of a Virgin to be true God and man,
may deserve by the power of His saving
resurrection to attain to eternal happiness.
Through the same our Lord.

PREFACE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

It it truly meet and just, right and for our
salvation, that we should at all times, and
in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy
Lord, Father almighty, eternal God: and
that we should praise and bless, and proclaim
Thee, in the Annunciation of the
Blessed Mary, ever Virgin: Who conceived
Thine only-begotten Son by the overshadowing
of the Holy Ghost, and the glory of
her virginity still abiding, gave forth to the
world the eternal Light, Jesus Christ our
Lord: through Whom the Angels praise
Thy Majesty, Dominions worship, Powers
stand in awe: the Heavens and the
hosts of heaven with the blessed Seraphim
unite, exult and celebrate; and we entreat
that Thou wouldst bid our voices also to
be heard.

Isaias 7. 14 COMMUNION ANTIPHON

Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a
Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel.

POSTCOMMUNION

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy
grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the
Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made
known by the message of an Angel, may
by His Passion and Cross be brought to
the glory of the Resurrection. Through the
same our Lord

MORE OF THE REFORM OF THE REFORM ORDINARY FORM PICTURES FROM OUR PARISH CELEBRATION OF OUR PATRON SAINT JOSEPH ON MARCH 19TH

Reception of the offerings of bread and wine:

The Preparation of the Offerings:

Incensing the offerings, crucifix and altar, priest and congregation:

The Pray Brothers and Sister:

Prayer over the Offerings:

The Sanctus:

Elevation of the Sacred Host:

The Elevation of the Chalice:

The Through Him...

The Fraction of the Host and Agnus Dei:

Communion of the Faithful:

The Final Blessing and Dismissal:

Recessional:

IS PASSIONTIDE NO MORE IN THE ORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS OR IS IT STILL THERE?

The main freestanding altar with the reredos behind it:

The Reredos with crucifixion scene covered in see-through black shear and St. Jospeh on the left covered and St. Anne with the child Mary covered on the right:

The Ministry of Statue Coverers in their important Passiontide Ministry:

Four back statues covered:

Sacred Heart Chapel:

Saint Patrick Statue:

Our Lady's Chapel:

In the Extraordinary Form Ordo, the following is stated about Passiontide:

"The last two weeks of Lent from the season called Passiontide. During this time all crucifixes and sacred images in the church are veiled in violet after None on the preceding Saturday..."

The Ordo for the Ordinary Form of the Mass states:

"In the dioceses of the United States, the practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church from the 5th Sunday of Lent may be observed. Crosses remain covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

In addition to that, the Roman Missal ever since the reform, from 1973, has always indicated that during the 5th week of Lent, the first Preface for the Passion be used and not the Lenten prefaces. Then on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, the second Preface for the Passion be used. Doesn't that tell you something????

Sadly, the post-Vatican II revised calendar doesn't use the term "Passiontide" for the last two weeks of Lent, but in reality, Passiontide is still observed.

Holy Father, please call Passiontide a season of Lent officially again as well as the season of Septuagesima prior to Lent! There's no need for a radical departure from the Ordinary Form calendar, just some minor housekeeping to it to include also "Time after Epiphany" and "Time after Pentecost" rather than Ordinary Time and restore the Octave of Pentecost and Ember days. It would be so simple to do, pretty please.

SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM AND THE REFORM OF THE REFORM OF THE ORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS

HURDY GURDY UPDATE BELOW THE VIDEOS OF THE FOLK MASS MUSIC VIDEOS!

Somehow, this reform of the reform of the altar when the priest faces the people simply doesn't cut it; it's horrible in fact. Wouldn't it be better for the altar candles to be on either side of the altar, floor standing, or behind the altar on a reredos?

This seems to be the best solution for the reform of the reform of the Ordinary Form of the Mass and juxtaposes the ordained priest with the laity, not confronting the laity, thus it is a clearer sign of the two natures of the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ which the ordained priest is merely a sacramental sign: the ordained priest is a Sacramental sign of Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, the Second Divine Person of the Blessed Trinity, the eternal High Priest and Bridegroom of the Church and also one with humanity in His human nature where the Sacramental ordained priest is also a sign of the Church collectively, the Bride of Christ, Head and Members united in an unbreakable, marital bond as the Mystical Body of Christ:

(In terms of female servers and lectors, since the Church is always described in the feminine, there is a "sacramental, little 's'" sign of girls (representing the congregation and thus the Church in the feminine)being a very powerful sign of the Femininity of the Church as the Bride of Christ.)

The Reform of the Reform of the Ordinary Form of the Mass must take into account the Second Vatican Councils decree on the liturgy. Any subsequent directives immediately following the council, even from Pope Paul VI are relegated to this document and must be revised if not faithful to Sacrosanctum Concilium. What cannot be questioned is the authority of the Council, Pope and Bishops and thus the Universal Magisterium, acting collectively in an ecumenical council of the Church which in fact called for the "reform" and "revision" of the Order of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

However, there may be two generations or more of Catholics who knew nothing of the actual "praxis" of the Catholic Mass prior to and during the Second Vatican Council. They are either too young to know, or are converts to Catholicism after the reforms and may well have converted because of the revised Order of the Mass.

In fact at the age of 58, my generation of Catholics (baby boomers) may be the last generation to actually have known first hand what the pre-Vatican II Mass was like as well as the pre-Vatican II Church, warts and all! Our testimony cannot be discounted. There was a reason why so many baby-boomers embraced the reforms of Vatican II with such reckless gusto. The Pre-Vatican II Church was too authoritarian and rigid, especially if (and most of us were) one went to Catholic school were discipline, both corporal and otherwise was well dished out and childlike fear of the Church and of God reigned supreme.

But it is also the baby boomer generation who knows first hand the silliness that occurred in the post-Vatican II Church that was destructive of Catholic liturgy and belief and thus Catholic identity. We know well the connection between the sexual revolution and how this affected the clergy and religious of the Church as well as the laity. We know well the connection between "gay liberation" and the homosexual sub-culture that developed in the priesthood that thrived off of this liberty and led to the abuse of so many adolescent boys which cannot be classified as pedophilia but as homosexual men acting out with adolescent boys who looked like adults.

Therefore the genius of Pope Benedict in allowing for the more liberal celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass helps more Catholics to know which Mass the Council was directing its reform and helps more Catholics today to experience in the Tridentine Mass its glories, some of which were unnecessarily discarded, and its vanities, duplications and remoteness, which should have been revised. A second look and experience of the Tridentine Mass will lead to a better reform of it today or in the near future.

One may argue about the translation into English of "active participation" but this is the official translation from the Vatican Website:

"14. Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy."

This does not mean that we abandon interior participation and spirituality but that each person during the celebration of the Mass take the parts that are assigned to them and make the most of them internally and externally, spoken and sung! To be quite frank, my experience of the Tridentine Mass as a child was non-participative. My parents taught me to say the Holy Rosary during Mass--that was praying during Mass. When we were allowed to participate with the 1965 missal--it was truly a blessing to pray the Mass, not the Rosary and to do so out loud like the altar boys and choir! English facilitated this greatly!!!!

30. "To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence."

Let there be no doubt that the Second Vatican Council directed the laity to do these things in #30!

34. "The rites should be distinguished by a noble simplicity; they should be short, clear, and unencumbered by useless repetitions; they should be within the people's powers of comprehension, and normally should not require much explanation."

Let there be no doubt about "noble simplicity" which today needs to be truly clarified as this can have multiple meanings and hasn't always been carried out in the modern liturgy in any sort of noble way!

"The Mass should be unencumbered by useless repetitions." Just what did this mean. We can only understand that in light of the "useless repetitions" that were eliminated in the modern Mass. These are:

1) The double prayers for priest and laity, such as the Confiteor and absolution
2) The double communion rites for the priest and people
3) The repetitions of the "signs of the cross" over the oblations prior to and after consecration
4) The repetition of the Dominus Non Sum Dignus for the priest and then again for the laity
5) The added Confieteor for the laity prior to Holy Communion
6) The added prayers after the added "Last Gospel"

35. "That the intimate connection between words and rites may be apparent in the liturgy:

1) In sacred celebrations there is to be more reading from holy scripture, and it is to be more varied and suitable.

2) Because the sermon is part of the liturgical service, the best place for it is to be indicated even in the rubrics, as far as the nature of the rite will allow; the ministry of preaching is to be fulfilled with exactitude and fidelity. The sermon, moreover, should draw its content mainly from scriptural and liturgical sources, and its character should be that of a proclamation of God's wonderful works in the history of salvation, the mystery of Christ, ever made present and active within us, especially in the celebration of the liturgy."

The Tridentine Missal's lectionary was good for a year but did not give a wide exposure to the Bible, in fact almost no Old Testament Readings were read at Sunday Mass. The revised lectionary certainly followed what Vatican II explicitly directed. Does this lectionary need further revision. I'll leave that to others for I like the three year cycle. My only concern is that perhpas too much is proclaimed at Mass thus diluting what is proclaimed. Perhaps we only need a first reading, psalm and Gospel. Perhaps we could have the Tridentine Lectionary as Year A and the current lectionary divided differently over the course of an additional year or two where Old Testament readings are spread differently and at different seasons of the year to allow one of the first two readings to be eliminated but all heard over the course of several years.

Once again, the daily Mass lectionary today is far superior to the Tridentine Mass which relies too heavily on "saints' readings" and thus the same readings are read day after day!

36. 1. "Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

2. But since the use of the mother tongue, whether in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy, frequently may be of great advantage to the people, the limits of its employment may be extended. This will apply in the first place to the readings and directives, and to some of the prayers and chants, according to the regulations on this matter to be laid down separately in subsequent chapters."

The preservation of Latin has been abysmal in the post Vatican II Church because most people like the vernacular. Even Pope Paul VI lamented its loss so quickly after the Council. He wanted the laity to know how to sing a particular Gregorian Chant of the Latin Parts of the Mass in a little booklet published called "Jubilatio Deo." It had the Greek Kyrie, the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. These should have been mandated to be sung in Latin throughout the Latin Rite, but this did not occur.

107. "The liturgical year is to be revised so that the traditional customs and discipline of the sacred seasons shall be preserved or restored to suit the conditions of modern times; their specific character is to be retained, so that they duly nourish the piety of the faithful who celebrate the mysteries of Christian redemption, and above all the paschal mystery."

As a priest celebrating both forms of the Mass today, I must say that I prefer the revised Roman Calendar and classification of memorials, Memorials, Feasts and Solemnities. What I don't like is the term Ordinary Time, but that could easily be adjusted without changing anything else by calling Ordinary Time, Time after Epiphany and Time after Pentecost. We also need to restore the Octave of Pentecost and the "Gesima" pre-Lenten Sundays as well as Ember Days. That would be very simple!

116. "The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services."

The chapter on Sacred Music is lenghty and opened the door to all of the abysmal music that has developed in the Mass including the use of other instruments apart from the Organ. It asked that these instruments be suitable for the Liturgy and its spirituality. But the judgment of this is so arbitrary, that ultimately it allowed for any and every kind of instrument, many of which are not suitable for the spirituality and devotional quality of the liturgy.

The styles of music allowed today for the Liturgy which began with the horrible stuff allowed in the late 1960's has caused more harm to the post Vatican II Mass than any other experimentation, even the more wild forms of experimentation because most parishes implemented horrible music into the liturgy while not all parishes celebrated Mass in the most absurd ways possible.

In my opinion the following instruments are not suitable and should be forbidden from the Sacred Mass and Liturgy of the hours. These could be used for devotional music outside of Mass of course:

1. the guitar, electric or otherwise
2. the snare drums and corresponding cymbals and bongos
3. the saxophone
4. tambourines
5. harmonica and mouth harp
6. Piano--I love the piano, but don't think it is good for the Liturgy as well as the sounds that many electronic keyboards can make.
7. The Hurdy Gurdy I think could be used in some cultures, (I'm fascinated by the instrument and only learned now about it!) but I don't think the Bag Pipes are appropriate for the indoors or for the Liturgy--fine outdoors and at grave side committals.

Certainly classical orchestral instruments should be permitted, including strings,woodwinds, brass, timpani, harp and the like.

The Council explicitly asked that Gregorian Chant and presumably in Latin be preserved. What happened?????? We went gunge-ho with what was only vaguely allowed by arbitrary judgments and forbade that which was explicitly requested be preserved.

We need the Pope to tell local bishops how the Revised Liturgy should be celebrated and there needs to be explicit instructions about Music and instrumentation in particular. There needs to be a national hymnal for each language group which includes "universal Gregorian Chant" that must be used in the Liturgy, i.e. Introit, Offertory and Communion Antiphons as well as parts of the Mass. Hymns need to be scrupulously studied by local bishop's conferences and then submitted to Rome for further examination before these are to be admitted into any formal liturgy of the Church, i.e. Mass and Liturgy of the Hours.

The current Mass needs to be revised as I suggested in the previous post. I'm not advocating anything radical, just a revision of the Penitential Act and restoration of the Introit to its proper place and the maintaining of the Kyrie in its nine fold format. I simply asking for Ad Orientem but not to preclude the Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Universal Prayers, Post Communion Prayer, Blessing and Dismissal from the Presiding Chair.

This is an Appendix to Sacrosanctum Concilium which I will copy without my comment:

APPENDIX

A DECLARATION OF THE SECOND ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF THE VATICAN ON REVISION OF THE CALENDAR

The Second Ecumenical Sacred Council of the Vatican, recognizing the importance of the wishes expressed by many concerning the assignment of the feast of Easter to a fixed Sunday and concerning an unchanging calendar, having carefully considered the effects which could result from the introduction of a new calendar, declares as follows:

The Sacred Council would not object if the feast of Easter were assigned to a particular Sunday of the Gregorian Calendar, provided that those whom it may concern, especially the brethren who are not in communion with the Apostolic See, give their assent.
The sacred Council likewise declares that it does not oppose efforts designed to introduce a perpetual calendar into civil society.

But among the various systems which are being suggested to stabilize a perpetual calendar and to introduce it into civil life, the Church has no objection only in the case of those systems which retain and safeguard a seven-day week with Sunday, without the introduction of any days outside the week, so that the succession of weeks may be left intact, unless there is question of the most serious reasons. Concerning these the Apostolic See shall judge.

IN SOME FUTURE REFORM OF THE REFORM OF THE ORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS, IS THERE A CASE TO BE MADE OF RESTORING THE INTROIT (ENTRANCE CHANT) TO ITS TRADITIONAL LOCATION?

This is the introit for the 4th Sunday of Lent, or Laetare Sunday. Did anyone hear this last Sunday, it's still the official Entrance Chant for the 4th Sunday of Lent:

I'm not able to provide a historical overview of how the Prayers at the Foot of the altar developed, although I seem to recollect that these were private prayers of the priest and his ministers as they prepared for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Thus these are recited as their preparation for Mass. In the EF's Low Mass these are audible and the 1962 Missal allows for congregational participation. In the Sung Mass, it is permissible for the priest and his ministers to say these quietly as the Introit is sung over them.

Therefore, the Mass technically begins with the singing of the official Entrance Chant which is not optional in the EF Mass and it occurs in the Low Mass (spoken) after the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, but prior to the nine-fold Kyrie. The situation of the Kyrie after the Introit or Entrance Chant tells us that the Kyrie is integral to the Mass and not optional.

However, therein lies the rub with the revised Ordinary Form's Order of the Mass. The Penitential Act is omitted altogether, including the Kyrie, when another rite is used in place of the Penitential Act. Thus the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water replaces the Penitential Act including the Kyrie.

Another odd rubric in the Ordinary Form is for the Nuptial Mass. Although there currently isn't anything to replace the Penitential Act, the rubric states that after the greeting of the Mass, the Penitential Act is omitted and the Gloria sung. (I presume a reform of the Nuptials is being developed where the questions prior to the consent will be asked prior to the Gloria, with the actual vows after the homily, but I'm not clairvoyant, or am I?)

The penitential Act, including the Kyrie, is also omitted in the Requiem Mass when the Body is received at the entrance, sprinkled with Holy Water and covered with the Pall. I find it truly odd that at a Requiem Mass calling for God's mercy on the deceased that the Kyrie is omitted altogether. This is an aberration to say the least.

So, I am proposing for the Reform of the Reform of the Ordinary Form of the Mass the following:

The Penitential Act to become: "Preparation for Holy Mass: Penitential Act at the Foot of the Altar"

Once the priest and ministers arrive at the altar (a congregational hymn may accompany this movement) the priest facing the altar, begins with the Sign of the Cross, turns and greets the congregation, turns back to the altar and says or chants the introduction to the Penitential Act which includes the following after a brief silence:

(This would be the standard prayers, all other forms of the Penitential Act would be suppressed:)

A) All: "I Confess..."

B) The absolution: May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

C) The conclusion sentences: Priest: Have mercy on us, O Lord. Response: For we have sinned.
Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy. Response: And grant us your Salvation.

After this, the priest ascends and kisses the altar, the Official Introit (Entrance Chant) is chanted by all or by the schola or cantor alone. The altar may be incensed during the chanting of the Introit.

Immediately following the Introit, the Kyrie and Gloria are chanted with the Collect to follow. The priest may preside from his chair for the Kyrie, Gloria and Collect.

What the restored order of things in my suggestion above accomplishes is two things:

1) There is a legitimate option for a non-Liturgical Hymn to accompany the movement of the priest from the sacristy to the sanctuary, even down the main aisle. It is purely optional and non mandatory.

2) The Preparatory Prayers at the Foot of the Altar although greatly simplified are still prayed as preparation for the Mass. The Introit takes on a purely liturgical role and is always the official chant and the Kyrie is returned to its proper place, never omitted even in a Nuptial or Requiem Mass when the Penitential Act at the Foot of the Altar would be omitted.

My contention remains, that we could implement all of this "tomorrow" without printing a brand new Roman Missal immediately, just having a supplement for the "revised order of the Mass" printed immediately. Subsequent printings of the Roman Missal would be revised as needed.

Also, I'm not suggesting any other revisions to the Mass, other than making explicit that ad orientem is preferred but toward the people may be an option for some occasions, such as Requiems or Nuptial Masses when so many non-Catholics are present.

I would go so far as to mandate the singing of the Introit in Latin to preserve our Latin, Gregorian Chant heritage as Vatican II explicitly mandated! It would be very easy to provide the congregation with an English translation of it.

Apart from that, I would revised the following rubrics:

1. The Penitential Act at the Foot of the Altar is said by the priest bowing and the congregation kneeling.

2. Rubrics for the use of the pall for the chalice made explicit and more in line with the EF Mass, that after the Precious Blood is consecrated, any time the pall is removed there is a genuflection.

3. The double genuflections for the consecration and the format of ringing the bells is restored. i.e. after the host is consecrated, the priest immediately genuflects, the bell rung once, then he stands and elevates the host with the bell rung three times and then genuflects again with the bell rung once. This is repeated for the consecration of the Precious Blood.

4. The priest genuflects after the "Per Ipsum..." and singing of the Great Amen.

My clairvoyance tells me this will happen in the near future, but I could be wrong!

DID THE POST VATICAN II REVISION OF THE ASPERGES IMPROVE THE ASPERGES? IS THE OLDER FORM OF THE ASPERGES ALLOWED AS A PRELUDE TO THE ORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS?

The Ordinary Form "Rite of Sprinkling:"

Watch this Asperges in the EF Form from a prelude to the EF Mass in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is a amateur video from a real parish with real parishioners and a real dog! It is priceless on many levels!:

Read MY article to the end and then answer for me the question I pose about the ASPERGES!

Is the "Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water" in the Ordinary Form of the Mass universally celebrated in the place of the Penitential Act of Mass or can it still be celebrated as a "Prelude" to Mass as in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass? I sincerely ask this question.

The reason I ask the question is because of something that is very new in our very new English Roman Missal. The Rite of Sprinkling is no longer in the main body of the Order of Mass in the Roman Missal, but to be found in its appendix! The rubric indicated there says the following:

"If this rite is celebrated during Mass, it takes the place of the usual penitential Act at the beginning of Mass."

Maybe I'm being too liberal in interpreting two things here; first that this rite is now in the appendix of the Missal and second, "if the rite is celebrated during Mass" which implies it could be celebrated before Mass or as a separate ceremony. If so, it would imply that one could do the reformed rite of sprinkling wearing a cope as a prelude to the Ordinary Form Mass as it is done in the Extraordinary Form since in the EF the Asperges is clearly separate from the Mass, it is preludal.

But herein lies the rub. The Rite of Sprinkling in the Ordinary Form of the Mass is wordy and pedantic compared to the Asperges in the Extraordinary Form's prelude to the Mass.

In the Ordinary Form, the priest has a long introduction to the rite which is in effect a catechesis of what will take place and why! Is that necessary? No! Not during the Liturgy, but it would be good in a classroom or sermon.

Then the water is blessed in front of everyone in a rather long, pedantic prayer, which is okay, but is that really necessary, can't that be skipped and Holy Water blessed at another time, for example during the Easter Season, Holy Water consecrated at the Vigil of Easter used instead or water blessed in the sacristy?

Apart from the prescribed chants that are taken from the EF Form of sprinkling, again the new missal allows for other chants--big mistake!

Then there is an absolution following the sprinkling, similar to what is said after the Penitential Act. The Gloria is then chanted.

In the EF Asperges which is a prelude to Mass, not a part of the Mass, the priest simply arrives at the altar with the server carrying the already blessed Holy Water. Then he kneels (during the Easter Season he stands with Vidi Aquam chanted)blesses the altar and himself (a purification before Mass of both) and chants the opening words of the Asperges and the schola takes it up as the priest sprinkles (purifies) the people prior to the beginning of Mass. When the priest returns the priest and congregation chant the concluding sentences alternately with the priests concluding chanted prayer (not an absolution):

Hear us, O holy Lord, Almighty Father, everlasting God, and vouchsafe to send Thy holy Angel from heaven, to guard, cherish, protect, visit and defend all that are assembled in this place: Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

MY QUESTION FINALLY: SINCE THE EF MASS IS NOW ALLOWED, THAT MEANS THAT THE ASPERGES IN THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM IS ALLOWED AGAIN. IN THE EF THE ASPERGES IS NOT A PART OF THE MASS, IT IS THE PRELUDE TO THE MASS, THUS A SEPARATE CEREMONY OR RITE.

THE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR THE ORDINARY FORM "RITE OF SPRINKLING." IT IS NOW FOUND IN THE APPENDIX OF THE ROMAN MISSAL AND BEING PLACED THERE ALONG WITH ITS RUBRIC "IF THE RITE IS CELEBRATED DURING MASS..." WHICH BOTH IMPLY THAT IT CAN BE USED AS A RITE OR CEREMONY THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF THE MASS, ALTHOUGH IN THE OF MASS, IT CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF THE USUAL PENITENTIAL ACT, IS SO DESIRED.

SO HERE COMES MY ACTUAL QUESTION. SINCE THE ASPERGES IN BOTH THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM AND THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM ARE OR CAN BE INDEPENDENT RITES OR CEREMONIES, COULD ONE CELEBRATE THE EXTRAORDINARY FORM'S ASPERGES AS A PRELUDE TO THE ORDINARY FORM MASS? IF SO, WHY? AND IF NOT, WHY?

For example, we have all kinds of musical preludes to the Ordinary Form of the Mass. And at Christmas, a Christmas Pageant with scripture readings can be a prelude to Mass. Why not the traditional Asperges in the Extraordinary Form as a prelude to Mass? Just asking!

AH! AD ORIENTEM, AD DEUM! TOWARD THE EAST WHERE THE "SON" RISES AND TOWARD GOD AT THE SAME TIME!

These are the first batch of pictures from our Reform of the Reform, Ordinary Form Solemn Sung Mass for the "Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary," more will be sent to me on Friday or Saturday for posting. The video has to be sent to our good friend Mr.Lovel Miguel in Houston who will format it for my blog and the internet. That will take a while. Many, many thanks to Dr. Buck Melton, our parish photographer who took these splendid shots!
Chanted Greeting and Introduction to the Penitential Act:

Penitential Act at the Foot of the Altar (English Confiteor):

Kyrie and Gloria:

Chanting of the Gospel:

Credo and Universal Prayers:

TO CHANT OR NOT TO CHANT, THAT IS THE PRIESTLY QUESTION

The Preface Dialogue and Preface chanted in Latin in the EF Mass. However, this can and should be chanted in the vernacular in the OF Mass, but many priests simply don't for personal reasons:

Now this priest has no inhibitions, although he once did, about chanting the Preface in the OF Mass, just as he has no inhibitions about looking at the Mass through rose colored vestments and riding in a parade wearing the same color!

On another blog where my perspective is not always appreciated (although seldom do they censor me outright)a thoughtful comment was made about priests who chant the Mass and why so many priests today do not chant their parts of the Mass in the Ordinary Form when in the Tridentine High Mass, priests chant/chanted their parts as a matter of course no matter the quality of their chanting voice? This person, though, was referring to the Pre-Vatican II era.

Just a bit of a background, the post on which this comment was made was about singing hymns at Mass and that since Vatican II we have borrowed many fine hymns from the Protestant denominations and although these are Protestant, their theology, style and sentiments are "catholic" with a little "c." For example I doubt many Catholic know that "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is a Wesley hymn.

Nonetheless, hymns technically are not the music of the Latin Rite Mass. Rather, the parts of the Mass are they hymns of our Mass and the Mass as a whole is the hymn of the Church.

For example, our official hymns of the Latin Rite Mass are all prescribed including:

1. The Entrance Chant
2. The Kyrie
3. The Gloria
4. Offertory Antiphon
4. Credo
5. Sanctus
6. Pater Noster and Doxology
7. Agnus Dei
8. Communion Antiphon

Of the above, the Entrance Chant, Offertory and Communion Antiphons are not fixed but change day to day and truly are variable hymns, but prescribed for each Mass. Also as options for the Rite of Sprinkling Holy Water, the water's blessing may be sung with its corresponding Asperges or Vidi Aquam during Eastertide.

But in addition to that their are "priestly" parts that may be chanted:

1. The Sign of the Cross
2. All greetings including the Preface dialogue
3. The Introduction to the Penitential Act
4. The Absolution to the Penitential Act
5. The Collect, Prayer over the Offerings and Post Communion Prayer
6. The Orate Fratres with the congregation's response
7. The Preface
8. The entire Eucharistic Prayer, any choice
9. The embolism after the Lord's Prayer
10. The priest's prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ..."
11. The Ecce Agnus Dei with the Congregation's response
12. The Solemn Blessing
13. The Blessing and Dismissal

And if that isn't enough singing, The entire Liturgy of the Word may be sung, including the lessons, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation and the Gospel itself!

So, do we really need added on metrical hymns and anthems, either Catholic or Protestant to add to this glorious mix? Not really, but even in Pre-Vatican II times, anthems were sung in addition to the Offertory Antiphon and Communion Antiphons and I believe hymns could be sung at the Procession and recessional even at a High Mass without deacon or sub-deacon, but not perhaps at a Solemn Sung Mass (with deacon and sub-deacon) but I'm not sure to be honest.

But back to the original question as to why priests don't chant all the parts that are allowed to be chanted by the priest in the Ordinary Form of the Mass?

My humble opinion:

I don’t know if the psychology of the priest facing the congregation during Mass impacts this, but since I’ve been celebrating the EF High Mass and just this past Monday night an OF Mass ad orientem where I chanted the entire preface and Eucharistic Prayer II, I find that when I don’t see the congregation in front of me as though I’m performing before them, but rather have them behind me as though I’m a part of them, I lose a great deal of my inhibitions especially as it concerns my ability to chant well.

In other words, I feel that I have to make it a good performance for my "audience" when I’m chanting toward them--that's the psychology of facing people and singing to them. That’s not the case,though, when I’m chanting “with them” facing the same direction as they are and leading them in Liturgical chanted prayer.

But in terms of the High Mass of the Extraordinary Form, the rubric states what you are to sing and what you aren’t. In the Low Mass nothing of the Mass is sung, but four hymns are allowed. Thus, the Ordinary Form Mass borrowed heavily from the EF's Low Mass allowance for hymns in the vernacular although the Mass itself was not sung one bit. The so-called renewal of singing the Mass in the Ordinary Form relied entirely upon a "corrupt" pre-Vatican II allowance for hymns to be sung at a Low Mass (usually Marian and other saints devotional hymns and Benediction hymns. Whereas the authentic post-Vatican II renewal of the Mass should have focused on the laity singing the actual parts of the Mass including the official Entrance Chants and Offertory and Communion chants. That did not take place and still hasn't for the most part some 50 years after Vatican II began! That's a shame!

In the High Mass, the priest is mandated to chant the greetings, collect, Gospel, Preface dialogue and preface (not the Roman Canon as this is in low voice) and the Pater Noster, the Dismissal and Blessing. It’s not the priest's choice in other words. Whereas in the OF sung Mass, the priest can pick and choose as there is no distinction between low and high Mass, just Mass with music or without music or with some music depending on how the priest feels that day. That's a very odd criteria and so "chanting priests" are becoming as rare as Pink (I mean rose) Flamingos!

GLENN BECK AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE FROM THIS MORMON AND HIS TAKE ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Of course we know Glenn Beck's politics and perspective, but this is interesting nonetheless:

LAETARE SUNDAY AND CHERRY BLOSSOM PICTURES, GREAT ONES IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF!

There is a southern custom of "flocking" neighbor's yards with plastic pink flamingos as a fundraiser. Any resemblance of those attending our Laetare Sunday Mass and these pink Flamingos is purely coincidental!

UPDATED! These were taken by Dr. Buck Melton who takes so many outstanding shots of various activities at St. Joseph. These are just too good not to post. Someone asked about the medals on my borrowed blazer, these were given to me by representatives from other parade festivals, San Antonio, Rose Bowl Parade, Pasadena, and the Minneapolis parade committee. There are others of the Laetare Mass where Cherry Blossom Festival dignitaries and politicians were present in their pink, I mean, rose: