Ave Maria!
Some thOughts on the Mass:
At Mass the Priest rings the bell and walks to the Altar. Sometimes even processing down the aisle from the back of the church which is beautiful since this represent the Way of the Cross.
Then the Priest should now, according to me, stand Ad Orientem as he offers the first prayers. Then when the Priest consecrates the Bread and Wine he could now actually stand Versus Populum as he represents Jesus on the Cross. Jesus was definitly hanging Versus Populum on the Cross so the Priest should also do this. Ad Orientem would be like offering to Jesus instead of representig Him. What do you think?
I think it is time for 45 years of fooling around in the sanctuary to end, and to go back to the traditional ways!
Amen !
henrikhank, a lot of priests already do that anyhow, that is versus populum at the Consecration in the Ordinary Form. We can’t mess with the theology though
What you’re describing is significant and seems logical. I am not an expert on all the variations now permisable. I think we have 3: ordinary form ad orientem, ordinary form pro populum, Extraordinary form - must be ad orientem. If your system fits into one of these forms AS APPROVED, then we have it and it’s just a matter of doing it.
However, if it’s not the rubrics exactly in any of these forms, then for now we have to just say too bad because it’s getting too confusing for people. Now we have also the new translations. We need to settle down, not keep stirring things around.
Also, beautiful point, you made about the symbolism of walking down the aisle to the altar.
I can see you have good intentions and you bring up a good point. But remember Christ dying on the cross was the ultimate and perfect sacrifice to the Father. The times he spoke on the cross was mostly to His father. It would seem most appropriate to be ad orientem during the consecrations becasue the sacrifice is offered up to heave to the Father. No doubt that it is vital that we return to this practice. Even if we maintain other practices like vernacular only mass or COTH, returning to ad orientem is vital. Even at the last supper, Christ did not have his back towards the apostles, but he also did not face them, they all face the same direction.
Amen to that.
i know Jesus offered Himself to His Father on the Cross but wasn’t he hanging on the Cross versus populum???