"Extraordinary Form" of the the Mass

Dear Friends in Christ,

As you know this week we will held an informational meeting on the traditional Latin Mass, which Pope Benedict calls the “extraordinary form” of the Mass. The fact that it is the extraordinary form indicates that there is also an “ordinary form”, which is the form in use since 1970. By calling the old Latin Mass “extraordinary” the Pope wants to tell us that it does not replace the ordinary form, but offers another use of the same rite.

Essentially both forms are the same because the Mass is one sacrifice of Christ. If you come to the meeting on Monday night you will see how they are the same and in what ways they differ. Here at St. John’ s we strive to present the liturgy as faithfully as possible according to the authentic Roman rite. We recognize that the liturgy is not something created or invented by the presiding celebrant according to his own whims and opinions. Rather the liturgy is something handed down to us by the Church. It is the work of centuries of refining and distilling what was entrusted to us by the Lord Jesus Himself, who said, “Do this in memory of Me”. The order of worship, the prayers, chants, and readings have been developed ever since the early Church to form an organic whole that inspires those present while it offers praise to God.

If we are interested in the possibility of offering Mass in the extraordinary form at St. John’s it is because of our concern for the spiritual welfare of our people. We want to increase reverence at our Sunday Masses. We want to use texts that are inspired by the Scriptures. We want to offer music that comes from the rich tradition of our Church. Can we celebrate Mass in Latin in the ordinary form? Yes, that is also a possibility. We could offer a Mass in the ordinary form with the current cycle of readings in English, but with the chants and prayers in Latin. We could also have Communion kneeling along the edge of the sanctuary and more traditional elements that were never forbidden. Would the parish prefer this to the traditional Latin Mass? You must make your voice heard on this subject. Our informational meeting will spell out clearly how the two forms compare with each other. Hopefully with this explanation we can make a decision that will respond to the spiritual needs of the parish.

It is my fervent wish that our efforts will enable us to profit spiritually from the Mass so that we can go forth from our Sunday worship giving thanks to God by works of charity.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Hildebrand