A new booklet from the Catholic Truth Society is coming out on the Traditional Mass. It is available for pre-order now and will launch on 3rd April. It is the standard pocket-sized CTS production, and priced at £3.50.It is by me. Here is a little excerpt:
... attending
the Extraordinary Form can be understood as the privilege of seeing, from a
distance, something of great solemnity and holiness. The things which
contribute to the distance between the priest and his doings, and the
congregation, are essential to creating the corresponding sense of the sacred.
The fact that we can’t see things clearly because the priest has his back to
us; the use of Latin; silent prayers; the exclusion of the laity from the
sanctuary, except for vested servers: all these things serve to remind us that
we are looking in at something very special, from the outside.
The distance here
is not a distance of understanding. We can, if we wish, learn all about
the ceremonies and prayers; those who learn to serve Mass must do so. We can
follow all the texts in a hand missal. Even without doing either of those things,
a Catholic attending Mass can, should, and usually does know what is going on,
in general terms—it is the Sacrifice of the Mass—and in specific terms—the significance
of each part of the Mass.
There is a
distance all the same. It is the distance between heaven and earth, between
what is holy and set apart, and what is profane, the everyday world: not
between the good and the bad, but between the supernatural and the natural. By
acknowledging the reality of the distance between heavenly and earthly things,
the Extraordinary Form allows us to witness, to experience, heavenly things,
and not only to experience them, but to unite ourselves with them. In other
words, by representing, symbolically and dramatically, the chasm which
separates us mortals from the things of God, the EF makes it possible to bridge
that chasm.
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Congratulations Joseph I will certainly buy a copy Can I also recommend the CTS Booklet on the Extraordinary Form which provides an English translation based on the current translation for the Ordinary Form. For Catholics used to the Ordinary Form it will help them to see a translation they are already familiar with The two booklets should go together well to help people New to the Traditional Mass
ReplyDeleteThe translation used in the Ordinary Booklet sold by the Latin Mass Society is also based on the 2011 ICEL translation, but it has the advantage of using 'thee' and 'thou' and isn't larded with errors.
DeleteOn the many errors in the CTS Ordinary booklet see here:
Deletehttp://www.lmschairman.org/2017/01/ef-ordinary-booklet-lms-vs-cts.html
To a large extent it's a matter of taste I personally can't see any need for thee and thou in a translation and I don't accept the CTS Translation is 'larded with errors' It provides a familiar translation for those who are used to the Ordinary Form For those new to the Tradtional Mass it can be a daunting experience If they have to grapple with an archaic translation as well as Latin that doesn't help.
DeleteAnyway the really important thing is that CTS are publishing booklets about the Traditional Mass including your book which I'm sure will help both newcomers and established Latin Mass attenders
ReplyDelete