inundado por um mistério de luz que é Deus e N´Ele vi e ouvi -A ponta da lança como chama que se desprende, toca o eixo da terra, – Ela estremece: montanhas, cidades, vilas e aldeias com os seus moradores são sepultados. - O mar, os rios e as nuvens saem dos seus limites, transbordam, inundam e arrastam consigo num redemoinho, moradias e gente em número que não se pode contar , é a purificação do mundo pelo pecado em que se mergulha. - O ódio, a ambição provocam a guerra destruidora! - Depois senti no palpitar acelerado do coração e no meu espírito o eco duma voz suave que dizia: – No tempo, uma só Fé, um só Batismo, uma só Igreja, Santa, Católica, Apostólica: - Na eternidade, o Céu! 
This afternoon, after holy Mass, I had the pleasure of meeting the new pastor at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Chico. Fr. Timothy Nondorf replaces Fr. Blaise Berg as both pastor of St. John’s and chaplain of the Newman Center. Fr. Nondorf told us that he is in the process of learning the Extraordinary Form, which is of course a great relief to our little community. Chico is home to the only approved Latin Mass in the diocese north of Sacramento, and it seems that our bishop is committed to keeping it here.
We welcome Fr. Nondorf to Chico and are looking forward to getting to know him over the coming months and years. At the same time we will greatly miss Fr. Berg, who was so generous with his time and talent, and who often went “the extra mile” for the Latin Mass community here. Fr. Berg is now the Vicar of Clergy for the Diocese of Sacramento.
By the way, St. John’s is blessed with two additional priests who celebrate the traditional Mass, so we’re not expecting any interruptions.
Pictures from Solemn High Mass at the "Old Kenrick" Seminary
I have posted pictures from the Solemn High Mass held during a day-long workshop on the Extraordinary Form of the Holy Mass, which was celebrated in the "Old Kenrick" St. Vincent De Paul Chapel. Now the Cardinal Rigali Center (housing the Archdiocesan offices), the chapel used to serve the students and faculty of the Kenrick School of Theology, the Archdiocese's major seminary. The chapel is built using choir stalls, and is ornately decorated with wood carvings and beautiful stained glass. Click here to see all the pictures.
THE HOLY FATHER AND THE ORDINARY FORM OF THE MASS AS HE CELEBRATES IT
Cardinal Ratzinger celebrating the EF Solemn High Pontifical Mass:
An unknown pope prior to Vatican II celebrating Mass at the altar of the Basilica of St. John Lateran; It looks like Pope Benedict and there isn't much different about this photo and how the pope celebrated the Corpus Christi Mass yesterday if a picture was taken from this angle:
The Pope at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls:
We know for a fact that as Cardinal Ratzinger, the Holy Father celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass himself and defended the rights of traditional Catholics to have access to it. With these sensibilities, the Holy Father has broadened the permission of the celebration of this Mass and that has trickled down to good old Macon, Georgia and my parish. The Holy Father has real power!
However, as pope, Pope Benedict has not publicly celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. He did state that he hoped having its celebration more widely accepted would influence the way priest celebrate the normal or Ordinary Form of the Mass and that even the Ordinary normal form of the Mass might influence the EF in some ways--I think he meant verbal active and internal participation for both forms without the excesses of individualism or private piety and or personality of either form.
But with that said, as I watched the Holy Father celebrate the Corpus Christi Mass yesterday at his Cathedral Church, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and more as the Bishop of Rome rather than the head of the universal Church, I detected what the Holy Father really wants for the Ordinary Form of the Mass which he is modeling, not imposing (yet anyway) and perhaps sees his successors implementing through legislation. In other words, he's paving the way for the reform of the reformed Mass but within continuity of the EF Mass. Of course I'm not clairvoyant, but as you know, maybe I am.
What did I see at yesterday's marvelous celebration of Corpus Christi at Saint John Lateran?
1. A Mass that most parishes and parish priests could celebrate with a schola and some well trained altar servers
2. A lovely well-choreographed procession and recession and liturgical ministers who were well trained and carried out their functions with style and dignity.
3. The official Introit Psalm with refrain chanted in Latin and in Gregorian Chant--no metrical hymn chosen as an option.
4. The Sign of the Cross, Greeting, brief introductory remarks preparing for the penitential act (Confiteor) and "absolution" said/sung in the vernacular (Italian). The Kyrie in Greek and the Gloria in plain chant Latin with the Collect sung in Italian.
5. A marevelous Liturgy of the word as is done in most parishes with lay lectors.
6. A deacon chanting the Gospel in the vernacular (Italian in this case).
7. A wonderful homily
8. The Credo sung in a plain chant Latin format
9. The General Intercession chanted in Italian.
10. The presentation of the Gifts as in most parishes
11. The simple preparation of the altar and preparation of the gifts with incense and the schola singing the offertory Latin Gregorian Chant.
12. The Prayer over the Offerings in Italian and chanted
13. The preface dialogue,preface and Eucharistic Prayer II chanted in Latin.
14. The Pater Noster chanted in Latin but with the Italian embolism and doxology.
15. The Sign of Peace offered to one another as in most parishes but in a sober way
16. The Agnus Dei in Latin, but the Ecce Agnus Dei in Italian
17. The official Communion antiphon and psalm in Latin Gregorian Chant
18. Holy Communion to communicants kneeling and receiving on the tongue, not in the hand
19. The Prayer after Holy Communion in Italian and if there had been a solemn blessing and dismissal in Italian; these were omitted because of the subsequent liturgical Eucharistic Corpus Christi Procession.
20. The altar was decorated as in for the EF Mass but what is now called the Benedictine arrangement for the OF Mass. At St. John Lateran as with St. Peter's Basilica and the other major basilicas of Rome, the altar faces east and the direction of the celebrant has never changed from the EF to the OF--so there was built in continuity in all the Roman Basilicas.
This form of the Mass could be celebrated in any parish with some Latin or simply English chants.
An unknown pope prior to Vatican II celebrating Mass at the altar of the Basilica of St. John Lateran; It looks like Pope Benedict and there isn't much different about this photo and how the pope celebrated the Corpus Christi Mass yesterday if a picture was taken from this angle:
The Pope at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls:
We know for a fact that as Cardinal Ratzinger, the Holy Father celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass himself and defended the rights of traditional Catholics to have access to it. With these sensibilities, the Holy Father has broadened the permission of the celebration of this Mass and that has trickled down to good old Macon, Georgia and my parish. The Holy Father has real power!
However, as pope, Pope Benedict has not publicly celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. He did state that he hoped having its celebration more widely accepted would influence the way priest celebrate the normal or Ordinary Form of the Mass and that even the Ordinary normal form of the Mass might influence the EF in some ways--I think he meant verbal active and internal participation for both forms without the excesses of individualism or private piety and or personality of either form.
But with that said, as I watched the Holy Father celebrate the Corpus Christi Mass yesterday at his Cathedral Church, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran and more as the Bishop of Rome rather than the head of the universal Church, I detected what the Holy Father really wants for the Ordinary Form of the Mass which he is modeling, not imposing (yet anyway) and perhaps sees his successors implementing through legislation. In other words, he's paving the way for the reform of the reformed Mass but within continuity of the EF Mass. Of course I'm not clairvoyant, but as you know, maybe I am.
What did I see at yesterday's marvelous celebration of Corpus Christi at Saint John Lateran?
1. A Mass that most parishes and parish priests could celebrate with a schola and some well trained altar servers
2. A lovely well-choreographed procession and recession and liturgical ministers who were well trained and carried out their functions with style and dignity.
3. The official Introit Psalm with refrain chanted in Latin and in Gregorian Chant--no metrical hymn chosen as an option.
4. The Sign of the Cross, Greeting, brief introductory remarks preparing for the penitential act (Confiteor) and "absolution" said/sung in the vernacular (Italian). The Kyrie in Greek and the Gloria in plain chant Latin with the Collect sung in Italian.
5. A marevelous Liturgy of the word as is done in most parishes with lay lectors.
6. A deacon chanting the Gospel in the vernacular (Italian in this case).
7. A wonderful homily
8. The Credo sung in a plain chant Latin format
9. The General Intercession chanted in Italian.
10. The presentation of the Gifts as in most parishes
11. The simple preparation of the altar and preparation of the gifts with incense and the schola singing the offertory Latin Gregorian Chant.
12. The Prayer over the Offerings in Italian and chanted
13. The preface dialogue,preface and Eucharistic Prayer II chanted in Latin.
14. The Pater Noster chanted in Latin but with the Italian embolism and doxology.
15. The Sign of Peace offered to one another as in most parishes but in a sober way
16. The Agnus Dei in Latin, but the Ecce Agnus Dei in Italian
17. The official Communion antiphon and psalm in Latin Gregorian Chant
18. Holy Communion to communicants kneeling and receiving on the tongue, not in the hand
19. The Prayer after Holy Communion in Italian and if there had been a solemn blessing and dismissal in Italian; these were omitted because of the subsequent liturgical Eucharistic Corpus Christi Procession.
20. The altar was decorated as in for the EF Mass but what is now called the Benedictine arrangement for the OF Mass. At St. John Lateran as with St. Peter's Basilica and the other major basilicas of Rome, the altar faces east and the direction of the celebrant has never changed from the EF to the OF--so there was built in continuity in all the Roman Basilicas.
This form of the Mass could be celebrated in any parish with some Latin or simply English chants.
Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St Charles
Blogged by James Preece 1 Year ago...On Tuesday evening I took Leona (aged 3) along to a Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St Charles in Hull. In the language of the Latin Mass people this was "a Solemn Mass in the usus antiquior" but I have no idea what a solemn Mass in the usus antiquior that is not solemn would look like. Presumably there are more drums? I am being silly of course.
We arrived late which actually mean't we arrived early - we thought the Mass began half an hour earlier than it did and then got stuck in loads of traffic and the queue for some roadworks and a football match. I whispered to Leona that it was very important to enter quietly as we walked in to an empty Church in which nobody had yet arrived.
I couldn't make Leona sit in silence for half an hour waiting or Mass to start and then expect her to behave during Mass itself so I took the opportunity to show her around the Church, we looked at several statues of Mary, identified the baby Jesus and tried to explain about angels. We approached the statue of St Peter where Leona asked "What is he holding?" "What do you think he is holding?" "Keys" and we kissed his foot before moving on to another icon of Mary and then St Francis. As we worked back around the Church we lit a candle and Leona asked if she could kiss St Peter's foot again.
Mass began and was beautiful and suprisingly easy to follow in most places, this is only my third Mass in the extraordinary form and I had little trouble recognising words and phrases like "sanctus", "agnus dei", "pater noster" and "oremus". There is suprisingly little Latin you actually need to know to get by.
Leona was very well behaved despite her tiredness largely I think due to the palpable sense of there being something very special going on. She did ask what that man was doing? "With the gold thing on the chain?" I asked? "Yes", "That is insense", "What's insense?", "Well the smoke of insense represents our prayers going up to heaven?", "What he doing now?", "He's insensing the altar?", "What he doing now?", "He's insensing the servers?", "What he doing now?", "He's insensing you..." Cue huge smile on Leona's face. "I like insense".
She was very excited to go up at the end and venerate the relic of the true cross. I was a bit nervous that Fr Cahil might pass over her (she's only little) but she was soon in there with the kiss and more beaming smiles. I've never seen her that happy about anything in the Ordinary Form.
The even was a little tinged with sadness because it is the last time we will see our friend Richard in Hull (on left above) before he moves to Leicestershire to join the dominicans. Richard has done a lot for the promotion of non-pappy religion in Hull so thankyou Richard. We'll miss him.
Taking photos in dark rooms with four year old camera from before the days of proper noise reduction - especially when there's a toddler on your other arm but I think I did okay, more photos here.
source
We arrived late which actually mean't we arrived early - we thought the Mass began half an hour earlier than it did and then got stuck in loads of traffic and the queue for some roadworks and a football match. I whispered to Leona that it was very important to enter quietly as we walked in to an empty Church in which nobody had yet arrived.
I couldn't make Leona sit in silence for half an hour waiting or Mass to start and then expect her to behave during Mass itself so I took the opportunity to show her around the Church, we looked at several statues of Mary, identified the baby Jesus and tried to explain about angels. We approached the statue of St Peter where Leona asked "What is he holding?" "What do you think he is holding?" "Keys" and we kissed his foot before moving on to another icon of Mary and then St Francis. As we worked back around the Church we lit a candle and Leona asked if she could kiss St Peter's foot again.
Mass began and was beautiful and suprisingly easy to follow in most places, this is only my third Mass in the extraordinary form and I had little trouble recognising words and phrases like "sanctus", "agnus dei", "pater noster" and "oremus". There is suprisingly little Latin you actually need to know to get by.
Leona was very well behaved despite her tiredness largely I think due to the palpable sense of there being something very special going on. She did ask what that man was doing? "With the gold thing on the chain?" I asked? "Yes", "That is insense", "What's insense?", "Well the smoke of insense represents our prayers going up to heaven?", "What he doing now?", "He's insensing the altar?", "What he doing now?", "He's insensing the servers?", "What he doing now?", "He's insensing you..." Cue huge smile on Leona's face. "I like insense".
She was very excited to go up at the end and venerate the relic of the true cross. I was a bit nervous that Fr Cahil might pass over her (she's only little) but she was soon in there with the kiss and more beaming smiles. I've never seen her that happy about anything in the Ordinary Form.
The even was a little tinged with sadness because it is the last time we will see our friend Richard in Hull (on left above) before he moves to Leicestershire to join the dominicans. Richard has done a lot for the promotion of non-pappy religion in Hull so thankyou Richard. We'll miss him.
Taking photos in dark rooms with four year old camera from before the days of proper noise reduction - especially when there's a toddler on your other arm but I think I did okay, more photos here.
source
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - An Explanation
Father Christopher Smith (Chant Cafe) has completed a series of posts on the Mass, which I am happy to post here, in order, and in their entirety. Enjoy!
Explanation of the Ceremonies of Holy Mass, Part I: Before Holy Mass
Sunday is the LORD’s Day. Christians rise with the sun on the eighth day, the first new day of a new age of the Resurrection, and go to buildings which have been set apart for divine worship by the name church. They are called church because it is the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, which assembles there in the presence of God just as the twelve tribes of Israel assembled at the foot of Mt Sinai to receive the Law and came to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to ask God to forgive their sins. Christians come to celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist, a word which means thanksgiving
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - An Explanation
Father Christopher Smith (Chant Cafe) has completed a series of posts on
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - An Explanation
Father Christopher Smith (Chant Cafe) has completed a series of posts on the Mass, which I am happy to post here, in order, and in their entirety. Enjoy!
Explanation of the Ceremonies of Holy Mass, Part I: Before Holy Mass
Sunday is the LORD’s Day. Christians rise with the sun on the eighth day, the first new day of a new age of the Resurrection, and go to buildings which have been set apart for divine worship by the name church. They are called church because it is the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, which assembles there in the presence of God just as the twelve tribes of Israel assembled at the foot of Mt Sinai to receive the Law and came to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to ask God to forgive their sins. Christians come to celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist, a word which means thanksgiving
Sunday is the LORD’s Day. Christians rise with the sun on the eighth day, the first new day of a new age of the Resurrection, and go to buildings which have been set apart for divine worship by the name church. They are called church because it is the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, which assembles there in the presence of God just as the twelve tribes of Israel assembled at the foot of Mt Sinai to receive the Law and came to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to ask God to forgive their sins. Christians come to celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist, a word which means thanksgiving.read...