Un parroco risponde al suo vescovo che vieta la celebrazione ad orientem

Don Anthony Bus C.R., parroco della chiesa di St. Stanislaus Kostka a Chicago, ha ricevuto dal proprio arcivescovo la proibizione di continuare a celebrare la s. Messa (novus ordo) ad orientem (qui la storia).
Questa è la sua risposta, pubblicata sul sito web della parrocchia:

Father Anthony Bus C.R., pastor of the church of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago, has received from his archbishop the prohibition to continue celebrating the (novus ordo) holy Mass ad orientem (story here).
This is his response, posted on the parish website:

Fr Anthony’s Letter on “Ad Orientem“

The Holy Mass is the renewal of our fiat – a renewal of our covenant with the Lord and His Mystical Body. Therefore our primary participation in the Holy Mass and the renewal of our sacred covenant to the Lord is that we offer ourselves “a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God our spiritual worship,” quoting St. Paul. We do this in union with the sacrifice of Jesus, for Jesus, through Jesus, and in Jesus – to the glory of the Father. The Sacred Mysteries offered, “Ad Orientem” facilitates this so beautifully in preparation for Holy Communion, and always in anticipation of the Lord’s coming at the end of all things.

La Santa Messa è il rinnovamento del nostro fiat, un rinnovamento della nostra alleanza con il Signore e con il Suo Corpo mistico. Perciò la nostra prima partecipazione alla Santa Messa e al rinnovamento della nostra sacra alleanza con il Signore è quella di offrire noi stessi «come sacrificio vivente, santo e gradito a Dio (…) il nostro culto spirituale», per citare san Paolo. Lo facciamo in unione con il sacrificio di Gesù, per Gesù, per mezzo di Gesù, e in Gesù, a gloria del Padre. Offerti i Sacri Misteri, “Ad Orientem” facilita splendidamente tutto questo in preparazione alla Santa Comunione, e sempre in attesa della venuta del Signore alla fine di tutte le cose.

The Apocalypse Facing the People

The direction of prayer has had an enormous impact on the style of celebration. Priests celebrating toward the people can see if people are paying attention, like a public speaker or performer. If he is facing away from them, he has little idea of what is going on in the nave. Before Vatican II, this was regarded as a good thing: in the 1962 Mass, even when a priest is told to turn to face the people (for example, when he turns to them to say, “Dominus vobiscum”), he should keep his eyes lowered. He should not be distracted by the congregation from his work of prayer, and the congregation should not be distracted by him.
Where celebration versus populum is the norm, Catholics can get used to priests trying to engage them in what is going on with eye contact, emphasis in what they are saying, and even unscripted remarks. Experiencing Mass celebrated the other way can even be disconcerting. The point of it, however, is to allow the people to do what the priest should be doing: addressing their prayers to God. Above all in the Eucharistic Prayer, a celebrant facing East allows the people to follow what is going on in their own way, and to unite themselves spiritually to his prayer to God, which he leads from the altar.

Read full article by Joseph Shaw here.

Online Latin Course for Clergy, Religious and Laypeople

Do you wish you had better Latin — to follow the liturgy, or immerse yourself in the theology and history of the Church? Since 2020, small groups have been meeting over Zoom to help individuals do just, with the support of an accomplished ancient linguist.

Now, after “Traditionis Custodes“, the Latin of the Roman Canon has become a particular renewed focus for many people. Therefore a special 3-month route, led by Matthew Spencer (MA MSt Oxon) to better linguistic understanding of this ancient text, which unites the vetus and novus ordo, concluded just before Christmas.

A repeat of the course (further details here) will begin in the last week of February 2022 for a limited number of people.

If you would like to be considered for a place on the next iteration of the course, beginning February 2022, please contact matthewjaspencer@yahoo.com

20+C+M+B+22

La benedizione delle case, sulle cui porte vengono segnate la croce del Signore, la cifra dell’anno appena iniziato, le lettere iniziali dei tradizionali nomi dei santi Magi (C+M+B), spiegate anche come abbreviazione di “Christus mansionem benedicat”, scritte con gesso benedetto.

The blessing of homes, on whose lentils are inscribed the Cross of salvation, together with the indication of the year and the initials of the three wise men (C+M+B), which can also be interpreted to mean Christus mansionem benedicat, written in blessed chalk.

La bénédiction des maisons, sur les portes desquelles les fidèles ont placé la croix du Seigneur, le chiffre de l’année qui commence et les initiales des noms traditionnels des saints Mages (C+M+B), qui sont aussi celles de l’expression: “Christus mansionem benedicat“, écrites avec de la craie bénite.

La bendición de las casas, sobre cuyas puertas se traza la cruz del Señor, el número del año comenzado, las letras iniciales de los nombres tradicionales de los santos Magos (C+M+B) [en algunas lenguas], explicadas también como siglas de “Christus mansionem benedicat“, escritas con una tiza bendecida.

Die Segnung der Häuser, deren Türen mit dem Kreuz des Herrn bezeichnet werden: die Ziffer des neuen Jahres, die Anfangsbuchstaben der überlieferten Namen der heiligen Sterndeuter (C+M+B), die auch als Abkürzung von „Christus mansionem benedicat“ (Christus segne dieses Haus) zu erklären sind. Sie werden mit gesegneter Kreide geschrieben.

In Epiphania Domini – 6 Ian 2022

Sollemnitas

Ubi sollemnitas Epiphaniæ non est de præcepto servanda, assignatur, tamquam diei proprio, dominicæ a die 2 ad diem 8 ianuarii occurrenti.

Ad Missam in Vigilia

Hæc Missa adhibetur vespere pridie sollemnitatis sive ante sive post I Vesperas Epiphaniæ.

Ant. ad introitum Cf. Bar 5, 5
Surge, Ierúsalem, et circúmspice ad oriéntem et vide
congregátos fílios tuos a solis ortu usque ad occásum.

Dicitur Glória in excélsis.

Collecta
Corda nostra, quǽsumus, Dómine,
tuae maiestátis splendor illústret,
quo mundi huius ténebras transíre valeámus,
et perveniámus ad pátriam claritátis ætérnæ.
Per Dóminum.

Dicitur Credo.

Super oblata
Súscipe, quǽsumus, Dómine, múnera nostra
pro apparitióne Unigéniti Fílii tui
et primítiis géntium dicáta,
ut et tibi celebrétur laudátio
et nobis fiat ætérna salvátio.
Per Christum.

Præfatio de Epiphania.

Ant. ad communionem Cf. Ap 21, 23
Cláritas Dei illuminávit civitátem sanctam Ierúsalem
et ambulábant gentes in lúmine eius.

Post communionem
Sacra alimónia renováti,
tuam, Dómine, misericórdiam deprecámur,
ut semper in méntibus nostris tuæ appáreat stella iustítiæ
et noster in tua sit confessióne thesáurus.
Per Christum.

Adhiberi potest formula benedictionis sollemnis.

Ad Missam in die

Ant. ad introitum Cf. Mal 3, 1; 1 Chr 29, 12
Ecce advénit Dominátor Dóminus;
et regnum in manu eius et potéstas et impérium.

Dicitur Glória in excélsis.

Collecta
Deus, qui hodiérna die Unigénitum tuum
géntibus stella duce revelásti,
concéde propítius, ut, qui iam te ex fide cognóvimus,
usque ad contemplándam spéciem tuæ celsitúdinis
perducámur.
Per Dóminum.

Ubi mos est, pro opportunitate, publicari possunt post Evangelium festa mobilia anni currentis iuxta formulam positam.

Dicitur Credo.

Super oblata
Ecclésiæ tuæ, quǽsumus, Dómine, dona propítius intuére,
quibus non iam aurum, thus et myrrha profértur,
sed quod eísdem munéribus
declarátur, immolátur et súmitur, Iesus Christus.
Qui vivit et regnat in sǽcula sæculórum.

Præfatio de Epiphania Domini.

Quando adhibetur Canon romanus, dicitur Communicántes proprium.

Ant. ad communionem Cf. Mt 2, 2
Vídimus stellam eius in Oriénte,
et vénimus cum munéribus adoráre Dóminum.

Post communionem
Cælésti lúmine, quǽsumus, Dómine,
semper et ubíque nos prǽveni,
ut mystérium, cuius nos partícipes esse voluísti,
et puro cernámus intúitu, et digno percipiámus afféctu.
Per Christum.

Adhiberi potest formula benedictionis sollemnis.

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