Worse yet, as it is written, the Sprinkling Rite would actually REPLACE the Penitential Rite. Yet another way to eliminate things like sin and pentitence from the mass. Forget ever hearing the Confiteor again.The Sprinkling Rite (i.e. the Asperges Me, or Vidi Aquam in Paschaltide) used to be part of the Solemn Mass. The GIRM has this to say about the place of the Asperges in the Pauline Mass:
The Act of Penitence
51. Then the priest invites those present to take part in the Act of Penitence, which, after a brief pause for silence, the entire community carries out through a formula of general confession. The rite concludes with the priest’s absolution, which, however, lacks the efficacy of the Sacrament of Penance.
On Sundays, especially in the Season of Easter, in place of the customary Act of Penitence, from time to time the blessing and sprinkling of water to recall Baptism may take place.
This perfectly vague language is what has contributed to the disuse of the practice, I think. The Pauline rubrics do not distinguish between low, sung, high, solemn high, and pontifical Masses. This, I think, is actually a good thing in that beautiful rites like the Asperges have the potential to be performed each and every Sunday during at least one Mass. But wouldn’t ya know, the perfectly vague and dumbed-down English language translation of the liturgical directives has once again made it possible for priests and bishops to throw out elements of the “old rite” that are considered to be “too solemn” for “today’s” mass-goers.
Not really. The prayers for the blessing of water and the prayer said after the blessing of water all contain many references to sin. If the prescribed antiphons are sung during the sprinkling, there are many more additionally.
or
After:
It would here Chatter because our Masees are very full (and come to think of it, the priest wouldn’t have place to walk at the back of the Church). Plus, this area is very steeped in the tradition of Low Mass and many masses- on the holydays back-to-back. For Sunday Masses we might sing the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. For solemnities, the Gloria and Kyrie. Responsorial psalm- never. If the priest is musically inclined he may chant the collect, prayer over the gifts and postcommunion and the dialogues. The Confiteor does not have to be sung, is known by everyone, and takes less time than an Asperges.
I see what you’re saying, but it’s just not the same as the Confiteor, where we all actually say in the first person 'I confess…" It’s why I do not care for the third Penitential Rite option, which is the Kyrie alone. No ‘I confess’ in that one, just implied corporate sin and universal forgiveness. Most priests these days seem to grab onto any way to obscure personal sin.
So do we. I thought we were supposed to use the Confiteor outside of the Easter season, and the Asperges within the Easter season. (I am no expert; that was just how I had understood it.)
We have it four to six times a year and the priests always comments that it is the renewal of our baptism.
I suppose since it would take long to asperse the entire congregation.
