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| Photo by M. K. Spencer. |
Here are the links to my writings on liturgy:
"How I came to love the traditional liturgy is similar to the
experience of other TLM Millennials. It mirrored the experience of the
Israelites in the book of Nehemiah: Upon their return from exile they
wept after having read the law for the first time.
Like the Israelites, I mourned. I mourned for the loss of the
traditional liturgy. But rejoiced having entered into a deeper, richer,
even more personal relationship through the structure of the old
liturgy. I remember liturgies where I had the care of a young infant and
all I could do was sit and watch and listen. Liturgical innovators of
the recent past may object to my lack of “participation.” Yet such
protests would fail to appreciate how beautiful sacred music, composed
in the Church’s ancient past, can lift us up in prayer. I went from
pacing with a child in the very back to kneeling at the sanctuary and
receiving the Eucharist on my tongue. The tradition drew me to itself.
It was not about me at all; it was about it. Further, that is what
liturgy is about. It is not about whether it is “accessible to man.” It
is about man worshiping God."
"My husband and I have been going to daily Mass together since we were
dating, and while having children makes it more difficult, but it is
totally worth it. We don’t make it everyday (and usually attempt to
sleep in on Saturdays), but even two or three times a week makes a huge
difference for us. In our years of going to daily Mass I have seen a
number of moms and their kids at daily Mass, but rarely do I see the
whole family there..."
"It is October in Minnesota, and I can’t help but notice and admire
beautiful things. I love the bright flame colored trees, the decorative
gourds, the last harvest of tomatoes, the taste of chocolate chip
pumpkin bread, a hot cup of tea, and baseball. Yes, baseball is a
beautiful thing. It also helps to be a St. Louis native and Cardinal fan
this October. I have loved baseball as long as I have been conscious of
it. It was a love passed down to me from my family in St. Louis..."
"When the Second Vatican Council discussed the liturgy and produced the document Sacrosanctum Concilium,
the active participation of the faithful was something they were
strongly considering. It has always been a concern with the Church. Even
after the Council of Trent when Catholicism was such a part of everyday
life, lay catechization on the liturgy was considered to be important.
By the early 19th century, secularism had spread across
Europe, and the liturgical movement began. It was from the fruits of
that movement that the council fathers sought to help the laity
understand the liturgy..."
"It is 7:30 AM on a cool Autumn Sunday. A small group has gathered for
morning Mass. The church is quiet and still. The bell rings and the
people stand as Father and the two small altar boys enter the sanctuary.
They kneel at the foot of the altar and the low Mass begins. The church
is still quiet and still. Kyrie Eleison. From time to time (at
the place the rubrics indicate), the priest speaks in a louder, clear
voice, but always returns to the still small voice of the Extraordinary
Form low Mass..."
"It
seems that younger Catholics devotion to the EF is a trend, but many devotions
start as “trends.” Someone starts doing something, and they share it with a
friend, and then all of a sudden many people are praying a certain prayer. That
is the way tradition works in the Church. Something becomes popularized and
then sometimes it becomes universal.However, I would not describe my own love
of and devotion to the EF as a whim of my youth or an “addiction.” I would
describe what happened in me as more of a revelation..."
"As is usual in articles about the liturgy, there was division in the comments on my articles about devotion to the old Mass and about participation in the Mass
from people who prefer the Extraordinary Form and from those who prefer
the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. This is my attempt to find a
balance between the two sides, and be open to the whole of the Church’s
traditions..."
