Monday, 16 August 2010

My brother's experience of the Extraordinary Form

Today my brother and I went to the local FSSP church in Edinburgh for the Feast of the Assumption. After sitting on a bus for over an hour and doing that awkward walk which you do when you think you are late but don't want to run, we arrived at the church, walking in hurriedly and then suddenly having two booklets and two sheets handed to us.
We walked across and remained in the very back corner throughout Mass and I pointed out where we were every now and then to my brother. For me, the Mass was like a usual EF Mass, more akin to the one I went to in Germany than the one in France (the one in France was much larger, was packed and had a little more solemnity to it - more of a Cathedral feel to it). It was similar to Germany in another aspect - in Germany a non-Christian friend of mine who was interested had been coming along to church with me, both to the OF and the EF when it was on. As I knew she had no background of Christianity whatsoever, I found myself anxious in case she was totally lost and clueless to what was going on. Well, this anxiety returned a little today.
My brother seemed aloof to a lot of what was going on although when quizzed afterwards it turned out he had taken much more in than I'd thought. I then asked him what he liked and disliked.
First of all, what he wasn't so keen on:
  • sometimes the chant went on for a little too long - he was thinking particularly of the "alleluiaaaaaaaaaaaa"
  • he missed a hymn sometimes
  • not seeing what the priest was doing (though he blames this on our position at the very back behind a pillar)
  • he lost his place a lot and found it hard to follow
  • the Gospel being sung
  • the annoying moth (ok, this was nothing to do with the actual Mass, I know)
And secondly, what he liked:
  • everyone was appropriately dressed
  • nobody talking
  • appropriate reverence
  • lack of hand-shaking
  • trained altar servers
  • the organ
  • no requirement to sing
I can fully understand most of his dislikes. I too found it hard to follow the Mass at the beginning, especially flicking between various books. Some other things you get used to, such as the chanting lasting a while and you then learn to take advantage of this and giving yourself time to dispose yourself properly to the situation.
Anyway, overall he seemed quite positive though he's not desperate to go back. Plus, we've got our local parish to keep alive anyway.

3 comments:

  1. It is always very difficult to follow a TLM the first time. The second time is tough, too. Really, to "get it" you have to try three times. Have a look at my guide to the Missa Cantata: http://seraphicgoestoscotland.blogspot.com/2009/07/secrets-of-tridentine-mass.html

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  2. Oh wait, I see that it is your brother who was confused, not you. Well, maybe he would enjoy my post.

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  3. When I was in France (where I went to my first TLM) I quickly got used to it but I suppose this was because I'd already studied it intensely for a couple of years beforehand (or at least I'd studied the ancient missal that my gran gave me with fascination). Once you know what's going on, I find there's no problem.

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