Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Dies Irae & In Paradisum

This morning we had our monthly Mass in Latin--it is the current, "ordinary form" of the Mass, celebrated predominantly in Latin--the orations, readings, homily and petitions are in English.

We've done this for about 8 months, and we get a good 20-25 people for this Mass, not too different from who comes to other weekday Masses. The only objections I've heard--I kid you not--are from people who never come anyway. Isn't that funny?

Since this is a "ferial" day, meaning, there is no feast or saint assigned, then any Mass can be used today. I decided to do a "requiem Mass" or a Mass for the dead. I do have black vestments, but they are at the other parish, so I used purple vestments. The music director, who brings his whole family for this Mass, sang the proper chants, the Dies Irae as the offertory, and In Paradisum as the closing hymn. The only false note was the celebrant (yours truly) who kept mixing up his "e" and "i" sounds, a mistake I usually don't make (i.e., I usually make other ones).
Just a simple Mass.

2 comments:

Kasia said...

The only objections I've heard--I kid you not--are from people who never come anyway. Isn't that funny?

I'm trying to find a more charitable interpretation than "just because they don't want to go, they don't think anyone else should be able to" - and I haven't yet been very successful. :-( Perhaps you'll have more success than I...

Rachel said...

Good for you, Father. I was just on retreat at a convent where the nuns did the Office for the Dead one day for the Liturgy of the Hours, and I thought it was a great thing to do.