Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, pastor of the Anglican Use parish of Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio, is fed up, as indeed I am, with the frequent negative and off-putting references to the ancient practice of celebrating the mass ad orientem:
It is called ad orientem or eastward-facing. Is that so hard to remember? The celebrant’s position is not in relation to the people; it is in relation to God. It is an ancient symbol when all of us – including the celebrant – face east as we celebrate the Holy Mass “in joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord.”It's nothing to be afraid of! Mass is also celebrated ad orientem at the Anglican Use parish of Our Lady of Walsingham here in Houston, and these are not Tridentine Latin mass parishes! The practice is also pervasive throughout the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic world.
... All of our Masses in this parish – whether at the High Altar or in the Sacred Heart Chapel – are celebrated ad orientem. If you hear someone, in their ignorance, commenting on “the priest standing with his back to the people,” please correct them. Explain to them that we are really a forward-looking people. We’re looking forward to the final day, when Jesus will return in glory. And explain that we do it together. Explain that Father isn’t there to entertain. He’s there in the place of the shepherd, heading with his flock to that final destination: heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment