Wednesday, August 14, 2013

So simple

Thanks to Latin Mass in Clifton for drawing attention to Fr Tomlinson`s (of the Ordinariate)  simple explanation of ad orientem celebration. Makes sense to me.


5 comments:

SallyAnne said...

It should make sense to us all, Father. I presume we can take it from this that you celebrate the Novus Ordo ad orientem? It would be a pity to have brought the lucidity of this to the attention of your congregation and readership and then celebrate versus populum.

Fr Michael Brown said...

SallyAnne, sorry for the delay in replying. I have tried a few times including a Sunday, after explaining at great length the virtue of ad orientem celebration. There were almost riots. However the young are more open to new ideas and so I made it my practice at SS Peter and Paul`s to celebrate school Masses ad orientem and no-one complained and a teacher even said she liked it. I am now in my new parish and treading carefully but this cartonn may give food for thought on the newsletter.

Pelerin said...

This cartoon perfectly explains why Mass should be celebrated ad orientem. Such a simple drawing but so full of meaning. It is sad to read that you have had such adverse reactions when it seems so logical to so many of us. I used to feel most uncomfortable when the Priest faced us especially when saying the confiteor. It was as if we were saying it to each other.

I attended Mass in one church where the Priest and people turned to the Crucifix on a side wall for the confiteor. This seemed better but still not right as the Blessed Sacrament was elsewhere.

In my present parish all NO Masses are now said ad orientem. Several years ago it was all ad populum except for one on a Friday evening which I started to attend regularly. It had never previously occurred to me to go to Mass during the week except perhaps during Lent or the odd special occasion but the chance once again to experience Mass in this way drew me week by week. Later due to reorganisation of the Sanctuary the Priest started to celebrate other Masses ad orientem (he had a marvellous excuse that there was a big hole behind the altar!) and the Friday evening Mass became Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

Changes have all been gradual. There have been a few criticisms but on the whole it seems to have been accepted as the norm and we in the congregation have benefited greatly from the change in orientation.

Anonymous said...

Good example!!!

Catholic Mission said...

Which makes sense, Cushingism or Feeneyism ?

FIUV clarification needed
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2015/12/fiuv-clarification-needed.html