This part of Theotokos Books is concerned with Catholic Liturgy
THE MYSTERY OF MERCY
An article by Dom Jobert OSB of Solesmes Abbey, France
This is a very interesting study comparing the Old and New rites of the Mass, arguing that while the former focuses on God's Justice, the latter emphasizes His Mercy.
"Blessed John XXIII, realising that a gulf was widening between the static Church and the rapidly evolving world, decided to call the Council in order to give the Church the means of reaching out to the world, to communicate salvation to it. He prophesied a new Pentecost. Indeed a new pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the Church was necessary in order to imprint on it the required movement to reach those who had no knowledge of salvation, and also those who, knowing about it had rejected it ...
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Useful links
There is a good section on the liturgy at: http://www.tcrnews2.com/Liturgy1.html
December 2003 Catholic World Report: http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=26796
http://www.oriensjournal.com/13fabric.html
Book reviews by Dr Pravin Thevathasan
1 THE REFORM OF THE REFORM? By Thomas M Kocik, Ignatius Press
2. THE MODERN RITE By Klaus Gamber, St. Michael's Abbey Press
3.THE ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE LITURGY, By Alcuin Reid OSB, St. Michaels Abbey Press
A liturgical workshop is one of the most dangerous places on earth. The self-styled "experts" impose their views on doing liturgy and by the end of it you are left with a liturgy bereft of meaning, whose central focus is the altar of man.
The authors of the three books being reviewed have one thing in common; they all believe that there is a crisis in contemporary liturgy and it affects virtually every part of the Latin rite world.
How did we get from "Introibo ad altare DEI" to "Good morning everyone"? All three authors agree that the liturgical reform in the 1960's was hijacked by "experts" who imposed their own heavily biassed perspectives on an unsuspecting laity.
The first part of The Reform of The Reform? consists of a very fair debate between a traditionalist who wants a complete restoration of the Traditional liturgy and a "reformist" who wants an authentic reform of the Novus Ordo Missae. The second part consists of helpful observations by experts including Cardinal Ratzinger, Klaus Gamber, Michael Davies and Aidan Nichols. This is a helpful introduction for those who want to know more about the sacred liturgy.
The Modern Rite by Gamber consists of eleven well written essays on the present problems in the liturgy. Gamber was not a traditionalist. He believed that there was much in the Traditional liturgy that needed reforming in the organic sense of the term. Reform rather than revolution. These essays are easy to read and include topics on liturgical orientation, Communion in the hand, problems of the vernacular and participation by the laity. The liturgy must be God-centered and not man-centered. Unceasing change in the liturgy arouses in us a "feeling of insecurity."
The Organic Development of the Liturgy is both scholarly and relatively easy to read. Until the Second Vatican Council, the liturgy developed gradually or organically - on the whole. There are similarities between the development of the liturgy and Newman's famous development of doctrine. There are helpful introductions to the works of some of the great liturgical experts including Gueranger, Beauduin, Casel and Parsch.
The most important aspect of the work is what it tells us about the liturgical reforms of the 1960's . This is perhaps surprising as nothing is actually written. But if there was organic development until the Second Vatican Council, what happened afterwards was a liturgical revolution-not reform.
The crisis in the Church and the crisis in the sacred liturgy are closely bound together.
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