Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of S. John the Baptist : not, to be quite honest, a Saint with whom I feel I’d have a great deal in common – fond as I am of honey, I’ve never managed to develop a taste for locusts, for a start; and I generally prefer to have my clothes made of conventional fabrics rather than being snatched off the back of some wild beast who may not yet have finished with them !There is one point, however, where I do feel an affinity with him, although no doubt for a very different reason : and that is his focus on Our Blessed Lord, when he said ‘Behold the Lamb of God’.
One of the reasons I prefer the Extraordinary Form is because I can follow the Mass in my own way, and with my own prayers, rather than it being expected that I will get the most benefit from following along with someone else’s idea of what is most appropriate : and for me, one of the focal points of the Mass, at least on a good percentage of occasions, one of the things at which my devotion aims, is that moment when the priest hold up the Host and says ‘Ecce Agnus Dei; ecce Qui tollit peccata mundi’.
Pious ejaculations are largely out of fashion nowadays; although such things as the ‘Jesus Prayer’ do seem to have made something of a comeback in recent years : but that single sentence seems to me to concentrate within itself much of the mystery of the Mass . . . and thus much of the mystery of our Redemption.
He may not have been our first choice of guest for an enjoyable party : but S. John the Baptist gave us a great gift for his birthday – a recognition of exactly what Our Lord offers us; salvation, through His sacrifice; the birthday of a new vision of redemption . . . and for that, if nothing else, it seems to me we must be grateful to him.
"One of the reasons I prefer the Extraordinary Form is because I can follow the Mass in my own way, and with my own prayers, rather than it being expected that I will get the most benefit from following along with someone else’s idea of what is most appropriate :"
ReplyDeleteTouch of the proddy still remaining there methinks.....;)
"One of the reasons I prefer the Extraordinary Form is because I can follow the Mass in my own way, and with my own prayers, rather than it being expected that I will get the most benefit from following along with someone else’s idea of what is most appropriate :"
ReplyDeleteThat would strike me personally as something fundamentally wrong with the ''extraordinary form.'' Liturgy is as much the common prayer of the People of God as it is the clergy in choir and the Celebrant at the Altar. Counting beads during Mass is about as aliturgical as you can get.
I find it very strange that such an ancient and venerable feast is, by and large, ignored. Where are the High Masses and Vespers etc today, or even sung Masses?
ReplyDeleteAny ideas?
Rubricarius, why have sung Office and High Mass on a traditional feast when you can have a votive Low Mass of Our Lady of Lourdes instead?
ReplyDeleteShadowlands - if you think D.M's comment is "Proddy" then we can only conclude that you have no idea what it really is.
ReplyDeleteRubricarius: I suspect that there will be hardly any high masses except in churches named after the Baptist or in Order of Malta chapel in St. Johns Wood. Like you I lament that there are no high masses for todays feast.