For noen få dager siden skrev jeg min første kommentar på Father John Zuhlsdorfs kjente blogg «What does the Prayer Really Say». Det er kommentar nr. 263 116 på hans blogg (han har stor trafikk!) og kan leses her.
Det dreide seg litt om innflytelse mellom den gamle og den nye messen, og Father Z. spurte meg i neste kommentar: «I would be pleased to hear more about how the old Mass has changed the way you say the newer Mass.»
Nå har jeg skrevet en slik betraktning (på engelsk selvsagt) og åpner slik:
HOW THE OLD MASS HAS CHANGED THE WAY I SAY THE NEWER MASS
From the old mass I have first of all taken with me the FOCUS of the priest in the mass – the focus on God, on offering up to God the perfect sacrifice of Christ – making all other things less important.
The vesting prayers in the sacristy help the priest with this focus – showing him his own unworthiness and need for God’s help and grace. I end these prayers with «Ego volo celebrare Missam, et conficere corpus et sanguinem Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, … » expressing what the mass is. Then I walk into church with this same focus – not looking at people. With this same focus I genuflect before the altar, praying «Aufer a nobis …» as I walk up to the altar, and «Oramus te, Domine ..» as I kiss it – these are prayers asking for purification and forgiveness of my sins. As I kiss the altar at the end of mass I have also taken from the old mass the prayer «Placeat tibi …». This prayer sums up very well what the mass is all about: «May the tribute of my humble ministry be pleasing …» and «Through your mercy may it bring forgiveness to me and to all for whom I have offered it».
So the main contribution from the traditional mass in on the FOCUS it gives the priest. In the following paragraphs I will also mention some more details about how the traditional rubrics help keep this focus: …
Så følger en del punkter, som kan leses i sin helhet her.