Top 10 Reasons Why I Prefer the OF Mass

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Duesenberg

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While surfing around the web I found a great list from someone who prefers the OF (Pauline) Mass. I thought it was worth sharing. The reference is at the end:

"Reasons Why I Prefer the Pauline Mass

As a traditionally minded Catholic Christian I was thinking about why I prefer the abuse-free Pauline Mass over an abuse-free Tridentine Mass. Here is my own “top 10” of the reasons why:

It’s in a Language I Can Understand: While I certainly appreciate the Latin language, I do prefer to FOCUS on the Mass in a truly hardcore manner which I cannot do when I must use a missalette.

The Penitential Rite: Some suggest the EF has no PR, others suggest that function is filled by the celebrant and the server for the entire congregation. Either way I find it extremely cathartic for me to personally take part in the PR and humbling that everyone else present is also personally taking part in the PR.

Enlarged Reading Cycles: This sorta goes without saying. The OF exposes the faithful to FAR more of the Bible with its three cycles. This may be the #1 reason why I prefer the OF – greater exposure to God’s word within the context of the Mass.

More Readings on Sundays: Again, this sorta goes without saying. The readings from the OT and NT epistles, the sung responsorial Psalm and the proclaimed Gospel are a definite improvement of the EF offering.

Lay Readers: This is one area that I think involvement from the laity is a most positive addition to the Mass. To me it underscores the importance of reading and studying the Bible by all members of the Church.

Eucharistic Prayer Collection: The Roman Canon is still my favorite, but in no way is it optimal for all Masses given the other EPs that now exist. I appreciate how the OF allows a priest to pick the EF which best matches that day’s Mass and his own homily.

Sign of Peace: An important and humbling yet joyous part of the Mass. When visiting celebrants employ it at the daily EWTN Mass, it fills a gap and makes a most positive contribution to the Mass.

Allowance of EMsHC: Until we are choke-full with an abundance of priests and deacons once again at all Masses, there are times where the allowance of EMsHC (in a non-abusive manner per the Church) is a good thing.

Receiving the Precious Blood from the Chalice: The improved sign value of receiving under both species in this matter is very important to me. Perhaps it makes me feel more like I am at the table?

The 46 approved Saturday Masses for the BVM: I REALLY appreciate these 46 individual Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary (and their optional readings) that are approved for Saturdays."

Ref: Reasons Why I Prefer the Pauline Mass
 
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My degree of preference varies from point to point, but overall – 👍

D
 
Interesting. I can see why some might prefer. I personally don’t feel that any of the reasons is sufficient (for me personally, and only for me personally) that I would, all things considered, prefer the OF to the EF, but it is a good thing for people on ‘both sides’ if you will to see that each side does possess good reason for any individual person to ‘prefer’ one of two equally valid rites.

Of course, it goes without saying that it’s reciprocal. If I (again personally) said, “Oh, those are certainly good reasons, I can see why people would choose the OF, but as for me, I still prefer the EF for (and then presented my 'top 10 reasons why I prefer the EF”, I would expect that a person who did not prefer the EF would say, "Oh, those are certainly good reasons, I can see why people would choose the EF, but as for me, I still prefer the OF’.

I said I would expect that.

I don’t often see it (and to be fair, it’s both sides. All it takes is one person to say, “You really seriously think that 'it’s all about reason whatever? That doesn’t make sense” and the argument just blows up from there and everybody starts complaining that the reasons are stupid, the people are stupid, etc. etc.)

I do hope that doesn’t happen, because, whether it’s OF or EF, the reasons are NOT stupid, they do make sense, and there should be no reason to argue.
 
Same rites, different forms. That’s a big deal…

It’s perfectly acceptable to prefer one form over the other. I liked this list because it really made me think. Someone sat down and thought of it from an OF Mass viewpoint. That’s not overly common. Plenty of EF apologists out there, but not OF apologists.
 
I am glad this was started on a new thread. Re-opening old ones is problematic. Yeah, that is pretty much what I think, but I am reminded to be cautious about elevating one form over and another, and especially about elevating the form over function, meaning prioritizing the liturgy that supports the Sacrament of receiving the Eucharist over the actual Eucharist itself, which is equally available in all forms.

I will add one weird and specific (to me) thing I like about receiving under both forms, other than the symbolism. If I receive the cup, it helps to soften the host and moisten my throat just a little, and I have to start singing immediately after reception. If there are both species, then I could always receive last (logistically difficult) or outside of Mass (acceptable, but not desirable.) I will not drink water and am horrified if an particle escapes my mouth.

Weird, I know.
 
I too prefer the OF- but with some Latin (particularly the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei- that’s how my Cathedral often does it). For me the ideal is an OF Mass with:
-Incense
-chant
-some Latin
-ad orientem (rare for the OF but I have experienced it)
-full schola with polyphony

You get the beauty and the “trappings” of the traditional EF with all the advantages of the OF: more active participation, expanded lectionary, etc.
 
twf said:
I too prefer the OF- but with some Latin (particularly the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei- that’s how my Cathedral often does it). For me the ideal is an OF Mass with:

-Incense

-chant

-some Latin

-ad orientem (rare for the OF but I have experienced it)

-full schola with polyphony

You get the beauty and the “trappings” of the traditional EF with all the advantages of the OF: more active participation, expanded lectionary, etc.
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No sanctus bells? 😉

I very much agree with your preferences…
 
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Duesenberg said:
It’s in a Language I Can Understand
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It depends. Do you understand Latin? I’ve been to several OF Masses entirely in Latin. At one private Latin OF, I read the epistle and psalm in Latin as I am proficient reading in Latin (thanks to being in a Gregorian schola for 15 years, and praying the LOTH in Latin every day).

Also, if you travel, you will be no means be guaranteed Mass in a language you can understand. I do travel quite extensively, these days mostly in Europe, but when I was working, also South America, and Asia. In big cities it was usually possible to find a Mass in French or English (the two vernaculars I understand). In other places, it would actually have helped to have the Mass in Latin, I would understand more of it. But that said I’d rather an OF in Latin than an EF. And as far as the vernacular goes, I by far prefer the Mass in French over English.

What I do like about the OF, when well done: the noble simplicity that strikes a chord with my monastic affinities, the more extensive readings, and the greater lay involvement.
 
Well, at the Latin Mass that I attend quite a few of the parishioners say the second confiteor with the servers. But that is probably unique to my parish.
But I do very much dislike the kiss of peace. Not just because I have to shake hands with people (I’m an introvert 🙂). It seems rather odd that the Pax happens right when we should be focusing Christ who has just come down to the altar. We have done all this preparation for Christ and have centered ourselves toward him…and we turn around and start shaking hands with each other. That’s a fine thing to do of course but it should be done before we get ready for the Eucharist. Of course, this occurs during the EF too and I would say that I don’t like it there either. But in the OF it is more pronounced since everyone in the Church starts jumping over pews to shake hands (Okay, maybe a little exaggerated but people do stray far from their pews). In the EF only the ministers exchange the Kiss of Peace. But usually the Pax is omitted when it is just the priest.
But anyway, I think the Pax should be moved somewhere else. In both rites, but especially the OF.
 
You’re lucky you get ‘lay involvement’.
The problem that some have (personally speaking) with the O.F. is that sometimes you have a priest who believes that he can omit or ad lib everything from the Gloria (in season) to the Creed (always) to the made up Eucharistic prayers.

Now admittedly this is a rare situation, but for those who suffer it, it is truly difficult. It’s not like personal preferences. For example I personally prefer chant, but even a Mass exclusively of the most banal songs possible (with off-key cantor) is not ‘difficult’ in the way that a Mass where the rubrics aren’t just slightly off here and there, but constantly off throughout the majority of the Mass.

If your active participation is limited to “and with your Spirit” at the start of Mass, with "Lord hear our prayer’, with the “We lift them up to the Lord”, with the Holy Holy and Lamb of God, and Amen, the Lord’s prayer, and with “Lord I am not worthy to receive you. . .” and a "thanks be to God somewhere at the end when Father pauses after whatever he has decided to say at the close, and in between you hear who knows what, and certainly not what is being said or prayed --or should be-at every other parish in the diocese, let alone the country, just how ‘active’ is your participation?’ You’re basically letting Father say and do what he finds ‘meaningful’. If you like that sort of thing, you’re sitting back nodding your head, “yeah, what he ways, we are really getting to the heart of liturgy instead of being stupid sheep following rigid rules”. If you don’t, you’re trying to offer it up, trying to pray what SHOULD be prayed, quietly to yourself, or seething over what you perceive of as an injustice not to you so much but to the entire congregation, the entire Catholic world, and above all to God.

I know the difference between a priest who is human and who sometimes stumbles over a word, makes a mistake due to not seeing something clearly, etc. That is not a problem.

A priest who has the rubrics and the prayers right there in front of him (and it is obvious he does as when he ‘ad libs’ the collect, he will use a few words in that Sunday’s collect, but then change the emphasis or go off on a tangent does a deliberate, “I have better words than what they’re giving me, I have better ideas than the rubrics, and I’m doing them because they ARE better”; I honestly can’t come up with any other explanation. I’m not saying it’s malicious, but it surely is a problem.

Could this happen with the EF? I’m sure abuses can and do happen but I think the above a little more severe than a priest 'rushing the Latin" which is the abuse that always seems to get brought up with the EF. Well, sorry, it’s just that I had to suffer again this weekend and my heart is still sore. Pray for us.
 
stpurl said:
The problem that some have (personally speaking) with the O.F. is that sometimes you have a priest who believes that he can omit or ad lib everything…
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Hold on. This list does not deal with abuses. It specifically notes:
Duesenberg said:
As a traditionally minded Catholic Christian I was thinking about why I prefer the abuse-free Pauline Mass over an abuse-free Tridentine Mass. Here is my own “top 10” of the reasons why:
Click to expand...
Abuses exist under both forms of the Mass.
 
I tend to prefer the OF as the everyday or “normal” Mass, and the EF for special Masses or occasions.
I will say that having the Mass in my own language makes it easier to understand what is going on. I do know a reasonable amount of Latin, but having to process it adds a little bit of mental gymnastics and takes away a little bit from understanding.

Plus it’s kind of neat to hear the same Mass in all different languages when I go traveling.
 
I go to Mass at a Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation, so abuses and ad-libbing are non-existent, although being humans, monks sometimes do make mistakes like reading the wrong reading. I remember once the deacon read the reading from the wrong year and the priest giving the homily had to preface his homily with “in the Gospel we were supposed to hear today, Jesus said…”.

And the music is entirely Gregorian chant, in Latin and Greek, propers and ordinary, French plainchant for the rest.

By “lay involvement” I meant with the responses.
 
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Oh yeah. Bells for sure. It always feels off to me now when I attend a Mass where they aren’t used for the epiclesis and consecration. I love how the bells draw our attention to these very special moments
 
We tend to bow to each other during the Kiss of Peace, rather than shake hands. I think it’s because of the massive influx of Asians into Vancouver over the past few decades. I much prefer it this way.
 
Yes, true, and I said they could occur in both. Didn’t mean to ramble on with the other, just frustrated, but again, it’s not really moot and you’re absolutely right to remind me. Sorry.
 
stpurl said:
Yes, true, and I said they could occur in both. Didn’t mean to ramble on with the other, just frustrated, but again, it’s not really moot and you’re absolutely right to remind me. Sorry.
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No worries. I do appreciate your frustration when it comes to the celebration of the liturgy…
 
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