If you are curious, like me, to know what the 'New Mass' looks like celebrated 'ad orientem' - in other words, with the celebrant facing in the same direction as the people, then I recommend you have a look at this excellent slide show created by Mulier Fortis.It shows the regular Sunday evening Mass at Blackfen, much the same as most of us are used to in our own parishes, I expect, but with the celebrant with his back to the people.
I found it very interesting to see what a difference it makes to the celebration of the Mass. For me, I can see why some people say they feel it is makes the celebration of the Mass more reverent.
4 comments:
The celebrant doesn't have his back to the people (unless you count any of the congregation sitting in front of you as sitting with their backs to you...)
The celebrant is facing the same way as the people... facing God, and interceding for us, in persona Christi...
Sorry, that's my little rant over - but the "back to the people" line is so often trotted out by the Tabletistas, and if we allow the language to go unchallenged, others will get the wrong idea about what is happening!
;-)
Actually, I see you mentioned that in the first paragraph! Ooops. Like I say, it's a particular bugbear of mine, and like a red rag to a bull (and, like a bull in a china shop, around I charge!!)
;-)
Point taken, Mac. I can understand your irritation. The words we use to describe things are very important. I do appreciate the significance of the term 'ad orientem'. Sorry for the slip.
I suppose it's natural for people to misunderstand and to think that the opposite of 'versus' populum (i.e. ad orientem) must be 'whatever-the-Latin-is-for-with-back-to' populum . . . sorry, I didn't take Latin in school, as you may have guessed! :0)
Heheheheheh... neither did I !!
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