My first Traditional Latin Mass

[WBB]

It felt like a privilege to receive Communion today. It was very very special. I have only sometimes felt that way in the past. There was something–and I don’t have the words to explain it–very special receiving at the rail. I felt as if I were approaching Jerusalem, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

This makes a lot of sense to me! When I first went to a TLM in New Orleans at St. Patrick’s, I could only describe it as iconic. I saw images of Moses in the tent of meeting offering sacrifice to God for the Israelites, and then I saw Christ at the altar in heaven offering himself in sacrifice to the Father, and then inviting us to participate in his sacrifice by offering ourselves. In a very real and profound way we are approaching the heavenly Jerusalem. It made me understand how what was revealed in the Old Testament was fulfilled in the New. It is much more obvious in the TLM than in the Pauline Mass.

I also experienced joy after the celebration, and I also experience true skepticism from people when I discussed it with them afterwards, in some cases almost as though I had done something wrong and was wrong for recognizing the value of the TLM. I am not quite sure what the proponents of the Pauline Mass have to fear. The TLM is a beautiful way of experiencing God.

Brian

 

[brotherhrolf]

St. Patrick’s also has a NO Latin Mass which follows the TLM. And the church itself is awesome.

 

[WBB]

St. Patrick’s also has a NO Latin Mass which follows the TLM. And the church itself is awesome.

I know. It is a beautiful Church. Have they put the stained glass above the altar back?

I haven’t had a chance to do the NO mass. I usually have to get back across the lake by the time that starts.

 

[tassitus]

…As far as the term Old Testament, I can’t believe that you would use such an archaic and possibly insulting term :tsktsk: I believe the current PC terminology for it is the Hebrew Scriptures. I know when I went through catechist training they were pretty strict on that one…

I have been away from the Church for quite awhile, and since my return last summer I do recall hearing anything like this.

So, come on. What have I missed?

In peace.

 

[brotherhrolf]

I know. It is a beautiful Church. Have they put the stained glass above the altar back?

I haven’t had a chance to do the NO mass. I usually have to get back across the lake by the time that starts.

Not sure. Website shows it back but I haven’t been down since before Katrina. DW and I usually make a Sunday out of it and we either go to St. Pat’s or to the Cathedral. And I wasn’t aware of the NO Latin mass. May have to check that out soon since we were planning to go down and see the Vatican mosaics. We’ll probably wait until after Mardi Gras. Traffic’s bad enough anyway.

 

[Missa_Solemnis]

I was very surprised at how comfortable I was.

I arrived at the Church about a half an hour early–the Church is only about a half hour’s drive away, and being new to the state, I am not familiar at all with the area–and was so happy to be able to sit and pray insilence. The atmosphere was reverent and amenable. A number of people whose eyes I met smiled and nodded in welcome.

There were red Latin/English missals and “Traditional Catholic Hymnal” in the foyer of the Church, and I really did not have any trouble at all following the Mass, although I did peek over the gentleman’s shoulder in front of me once or twice to find my place.

I was a little surprised that there were no readings from the Old Testament, nor a Psalm.

The Priest’s Homily was very very good. He talked about how decay doesn’t happen over night, but begins with a weakening of certain structures over time leading toward an inevitable collapse. He gave as examples that when Satan tempts us, he often changes the vocabulary: abortion is simply a ‘termination of pregnancy,’ fornication merely ‘extra-marital affairs.’ He reminded me so much of one of the Moderators at Catholic Forum, Thomas, in his choice of phrases.

I have ordered a Traditional Missal that one poster recommended to me on another thread, so it will be nice to be able to follow the readings.

It felt like a privilege to receive Communion today. It was very very special. I have only sometimes felt that way in the past. There was something–and I don’t have the words to explain it–very special receiving at the rail. I felt as if I were approaching Jerusalem, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

I would like to close by standing up and saying, “Hello, my name is Maurin. And I am a Traditional Catholic. I love our Mass, in all its forms, but I expecially love where we came from. And to where, I hope, we are returning. It seems I am here to stay.”

God Bless.

 

[WBB]

Not sure. Website shows it back but I haven’t been down since before Katrina. DW and I usually make a Sunday out of it and we either go to St. Pat’s or to the Cathedral. And I wasn’t aware of the NO Latin mass. May have to check that out soon since we were planning to go down and see the Vatican mosaics. We’ll probably wait until after Mardi Gras. Traffic’s bad enough anyway.

St. Patrick’s is much prettier than St. Louis Cathedral, although the Cathedral is pretty.

By the way, for those of you who don’t know what brotherhrolf and I are talking about, St. Patrick’s Church is in downtown New Orleans.

 

[maurin]

Dorothy Day (a hero of mine, so noone had better denigrate her, or, in the words of my great aunt Lee, “I’ll punch you right in the nose!” )spent some time in New Orleans writing a (not so good) novel before her conversion to Catholicism. I believe that it was in St. Patrick’s she used to go and “observe” Mass when the ‘stirrings of something much greater than’ herself moved her.

Dorothy spoke and wrote often of how the Mass (she converted in the '29, I believe) really moved her–its antiquity, reverance and sense of community.

Your church is beautiful.