What's This?

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mystified

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Today the celebrant entered in the normal manner, then incensed the altar, the Pschal Candle and the processional crucifix.
Then he went to the aisle of the transept right of the sanctuary where he began the Mass in the normal way: "En Nombre del Padre…, Opening Prayer, Confeitior, etc. He returned to the santuary just before a lay reader presented the first reading.
Is this something new, or simply something I hd not noticed for the First Sunday Ager Easter?
 
mystified said:
Today the celebrant entered in the normal manner, then incensed the altar, the Pschal Candle and the processional crucifix.
Then he went to the aisle of the transept right of the sanctuary where he began the Mass in the normal way: "En Nombre del Padre…, Opening Prayer, Confeitior, etc. He returned to the santuary just before a lay reader presented the first reading.
Is this something new, or simply something I hd not noticed for the First Sunday Ager Easter?
Click to expand...
The incensing part is normal (and given that it’s in the Octave of Easter, it realy should happen).

The part about leaving the sanctuary and going to the transept then returning to the sanctuary I’ve never heard of. It’s hard to tell based on a one-sentence description but it doesn’t seem like what he did was proper. The opening and the penitential rite should be done from the chair, so that means that he shouldn’t have moved much before sitting for the readings. Could it be that the chair is in an akward place and perhaps he felt that he couldn’t be seen or heard properly from the chair? (not that these prayers are about “being seen” as opposed to praying, but being visible is a legitimate value). Any reason why he went to the transept instead of the center? It seems like what he did was very odd, but a little more information would be helpful.

In any case, to directly answer your question: No, this isn’t something that is supposed to happen on the 2nd Sunday of Easter.
 
mystified said:
Today the celebrant entered in the normal manner, then incensed the altar, the Pschal Candle and the processional crucifix.
Then he went to the aisle of the transept right of the sanctuary where he began the Mass in the normal way: "En Nombre del Padre…, Opening Prayer, Confeitior, etc. He returned to the santuary just before a lay reader presented the first reading.
Is this something new, or simply something I hd not noticed for the First Sunday Ager Easter?
Click to expand...
Ok I am trying to figure out what’s going on in your Mass too not having seen your church and guessing at what rite you attend. Is there a Divine Mercy image at the transept or something of that nature or perhaps a baptismal font? I think more info will be needed to solve this liturgical mystery>This would also include the mass language and where you are. I’m scratching my head too at this point.
If there’s a Divine mercy image it was to honor Divine Mercy Sunday. If there’s a baptismal then it would symbolize our baptism which would usually be followed with the asperges or sprinkling rite.:confused: It may also be one of the priest’s own quirks which wouldn’t invalidate the litugy.
Perhaps also you may wish to ask the priest if there was some special significance to his actions.
 
First, Father, the chair is on a raised platform (sorry, not sure if there is a proper term for it) between the altar and the tabernacle. I have been in this parish about two years and in the past the celebrant was either seated there or standing in front of the chair, except when he would return to the front of the altar facing the tabernacle for the penetential rite on his knees, sort of like ad orientem of the EF.
A chair is also there for those Masses when a deacon is present. As for being heard, I guess the “rock star” type microphone would work anywhere in the building now that we have a much improved sound system.

Except for today’s strange change, the younger priests assigned to this large parish are rather “by the book” with the OF. I guess we are stuck forever with the pretty wine glasses and the EMs “blessing” the small children during the distribution of Communion.
 
mystified said:
First, Father, the chair is on a raised platform (sorry, not sure if there is a proper term for it) between the altar and the tabernacle. I have been in this parish about two years and in the past the celebrant was either seated there or standing in front of the chair, except when he would return to the front of the altar facing the tabernacle for the penetential rite on his knees, sort of like ad orientem of the EF.
A chair is also there for those Masses when a deacon is present. As for being heard, I guess the “rock star” type microphone would work anywhere in the building now that we have a much improved sound system.

Except for today’s strange change, the younger priests assigned to this large parish are rather “by the book” with the OF. I guess we are stuck forever with the pretty wine glasses and the EMs “blessing” the small children during the distribution of Communion.
Click to expand...
OK. That gets a little closer. The chair being in front of the tabernacle is precisely the wrong location. The priest (or anyone else for that matter) should never be sitting with his back to the Blessed Sacrament (see GIRM 310 for starters). So could this be a way of dealing with an improper arrangement of the sanctuary? Was he a visiting priest (you didn’t say as much, so I assume not) who got “lost” because the chair is where it is? Maybe the priest had the good sense to realize that he shouldn’t be standing with his back to the Blessed Sacrament during the penitential rite, and he was doing his best given the arrangement?

I know that saying Mass versus populum (“facing the people”) causes this to happen, and it’s less than ideal, but I’m just trying to offer some theories on why things were done this way.

Like I said in my earlier post, this is not something that’s done because today is the 2nd Sun. of Easter (because you asked), so it seems like it would be worth asking that priest why he decided to do what he did. We can guess at the possible reasons, but only he can truly explain it.
 
I get incensed when I see or hear “incense” used as a transitive verb.

“CENSE” is the transitive verb.
 
Thank you, Fr. David.
The priest was our newest associate, and has been here since before his ordination about three months ago. He has sort of “shamed” our other priests into wearing cassocks again. f this happens again, I will ask him about it.
As for placement of the altar, the celebrant’s chair and the tabernacle, at least they have scrapped the idea of moving the altar far over to the left of the sanctuary, leaving the priest on a pedestal in front of the tabernacle; the altar is in the middle where everyone in the congregation can see it clearly.
 
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