Traditional Mass, Universae Ecclesiae, New Translation, Homeschoool

This past Thursday, I attended two Traditional Masses.(7AM and 11 AM). My boys were doing double duties as altar boys.

The 7 AM Mass has been growing since the priest started as his private Mass, and now we had a first communion last week. The boy and the family decided to it at the Traditional Mass. (The boy is in my children's schola, and he commented that the music he got a CD for the communion at the Novus Ordo were not very inspiring to him.:-) Since he is a homeschooling boy there were many homeschooling families at the Mass. Many of them had never attended the Traditional Mass before. They were so impressed by the beauty of the Mass that they decided to invite the priest this week to the homeschooling group and had the Traditional Mass. We had to move chairs and the table around in the sanctuary, and give a brief instruction to the families and the children before the Mass. It was like a miracle! The Mass was celebrated beautifully, and the children were following the Mass amazingly well. (It took a couple of years for me.) It was a low Mass, and the congregation did the dialogues and Ordinary parts from 'the red book'. The group wants to continue to have the Traditional Mass at least once a month when they meet together, but there are only two priests we know available to do so. (one has to drive about 40 minutes.) And the other priest is a pastor for two parishes, extremely busy. I really wish there are more priests who can celebrate the Traditional Mass. (there is another homeschooling group I teach chants also wants to have Traditional Mass, but don't have a priest who knows how to do it.)
I found out in the class on the new translation I attended yesterday that many people, even devout Catholics, really don't have much knowledge on liturgy, and they were so happy now that they have a class on liturgy and the prayers. People were asking many questions about the liturgy and made lots of positive comments, such as the Mass is not about me, faith isn't based on feelings, appreciate the riches and reverence in the new translation and not so casual dialogues in the Mass especially in 'And with your Spirit." ... My pastor who is very careful with introducing Latin in Mass even repeated a few times that they all have been in Latin already, and very enthusiastic about the richness of the forthcoming translation, and people started to feel the importance of the tradition and the root of our faith. Because of the misunderstanding of Vatican II and the absence of the Tradition, the tradition which was almost wiped out in celebrating Novus Ordo in many parishes, especially in this area, many Catholics are so confused and at loss in terms of celebrating the Mass. Mostly we just did what others did during Mass without thinking. The experience and the knowledge of Traditional Mass can be truly valuable for many Catholics to understand and appreciate the Mass and deepen their faith through it.

Today, may 13th, the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae (UE) has been released.

"The will of the Pope in the Motu Proprio included that people who don’t know the older form actually come to be exposed to it. The older, Extraordinary Form is a gift for all, not just those who know about it. For all. Every Catholic of the Latin Church – and also in the whole of the Catholic Church – has the Extraordinary Form as part of their heritage. It belongs to all of us...

The Instruction, in line with the Motu Proprio, does not regard only those who desire to continue to celebrate the faith in the same way by which the Church substantially did for centuries; the Pope wanted to help all Catholics to live the truth of the liturgy in order that, by knowing and participating in the old Roman form of celebration, they might grasp that the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium wanted to reform the liturgy in continuity with tradition."

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/05/must-read-msgr-pozzos-comments-on-the-instruction-universae-ecclesiae-in-losservatore-romano/

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/05/wdtirs-universae-ecclesiae-21-drilling-into-the-latin-and-english-training-of-priests-and-seminaries/

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2011/05/13/vatican-tells-bishops-give-priests-the-option-of-learning-extraordinary-form/

"A new Vatican instruction calls on local bishops and pastors to respond generously to Catholics who seek celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal.

The instruction, issued today, said pastors should approve such Masses for groups of faithful, even when such groups are small or are formed of people from different parishes or dioceses. These faithful cannot, however, contest the validity of the modern Mass or the authority of the Pope.

“In deciding individual cases, the pastor or the rector, or the priest responsible for a Church, is to be guided by his own prudence, motivated by pastoral zeal and a spirit of generous welcome,” it said.

The instruction said that, depending on pastoral needs, bishops should make sure seminarians are trained in celebrating the Extraordinary Form of the Mass..."

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/new-guidelines-for-tridentine-mass-10-key-facts/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+catholicnewsagency%2Fdailynews+%28CNA+Daily+News%29

"Vatican City, May 13, 2011 / 10:55 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Local dioceses should give a “generous welcome” to any laity who wish to attend Mass in the “extraordinary form” and to priests who wish to say it..."

We live in a very exciting time in the history of the church. I only wish we can help our children to cherish the Holy Mass as the center of their life by our examples and the teachings of authentic Catholic faith. The church needs lots of saints. The Mass is the 'font' of our faith, and the holiness truly flows from the Mass where we experience God and His true love and Holiness. This is the most extra ordinary event in our daily life. If the Mass is celebrated in a casual manner with casual music, casual dialogue, casual manner..., how the children can take the Mass seriously? We need to learn to celebrate the Mass properly, so we can help ourselves and children truly experience God and deepen our faith through the Mass.