The Miaculous Growth of the Latin Mass

One of the things that caused me to stop the Catholic Rights blog was the sudden realisation that the Church had indeed moved on and the speed was breathtaking.   There was no need for me anymore to `pontificate` to the world so I now have a modest blog with an interest coming only from the Diocese of Portsmouth.  I am now content with a readership of an average of 20 people a day instead of 400.   I used to come from Church and Church meetings in almost despair as more and more Catholic teachings and practices were sneered at, but now I find myself actually praising more and more and worrying less and less.  My hour has passed.   Who would ever have thought even up to ten years ago that we would have a Latin Mass celebrated monthly in St Joseph`s.   It was just a nonsense to think this could be, considering the opposition.  But where did this change come from?  The answer is surprising and it is something I have touched on before - the young people.     At one of the Latin Masses I asked a couple of parishioners afterwards for their thoughts.   They were both quite sure that they would not want to return to this Mass on a Sunday, which was fair comment.    But did they notice the four young men serving on the altar and the two young men in the Gregorian Choir?  The altar servers were all from Basingstoke and all under 21.  Why are the young so interested in the Traditional Mass?   I must admit that I was not quite reconciled to the Latin Mass at first, I had many objections   The Mass celebrated is what was called in my day a High Mass and to be honest most people preferred a Missa Cantata or a Low Mass.    At most Masses they did not sing Gregorian chant but Catholic Hymns though I was taught the Gregorian Chant Missa D`Angelis at school.   Despite the stories it was not hard to understand that Agnus Dei meant Lamb of God, and Sanctus meant Holy.   It was all in the Missal.   We had beautiful polyphonic music in most parshes and although the  people could not join in it was a background to their prayers.   That was something I remembered at the last Latin Mass I attended.  I was standing there listening to the Schola sing a very long Latin piece and I wished they would stop.   Then I remembered that I should be prayng for at  any moment Christ would be reaching out from Calvary and becoming present on our altars.  Had I nothihg to ask Him for?   That I believe is what is attractive about the Latin Mass, we are expected to pray and give our hearts and really be aware of what is happening at the Consecration.  The whole Mass is Christ centred.    May I also say that reciting the prayers in English is not new.   When I was at school every Sunday there was a children`s Mass and we all sat at the front while a teacher led us to say  "Lord have mercy....."   "Holy,holy,holy........"   "Lamb of God........" which was taught in the classrooms.














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