Patrimony

We deny to claim "any Superiority to ourself
to defyne, decyde, or determyn any Article or Poynt
of the Christian Fayth and Relligion,
or to chang any Ancient Ceremony of the Church
from the Forme before received and observed
by the Catholick and Apostolick Church."

Norman Simplicity

Norman Simplicity
Click image for original | © Vitrearum (Allan Barton)

Sunday, June 22, 2014

"Che vuoi?"

Always a dangerous question to pose. Always. Better ... not.

Number One. Roman Rite.

By this I mean the Western or Latinate usage. Why? Because I am of the West and will never be anything but. OK -- what does this entail? As the very first post offered here made clear, the following are the basic structural elements of the Roman Rite, in their correct order:

    THE PREPARATION:

  1. The Introit chant
  2. The Collect

    THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD:

  3. The Epistle
  4. The Gradual chant
  5. The Blessing before the Gospel
  6. The Gospel

    THE OFFERTORY:

  7. The Offertory chant

    THE CONSECRATION:

  8. The Great Action: after the Orate Fratres – through Preface, Canon, Lord’s Prayer – up to the Pax

    THE COMMUNION:

  9. The Communion chant

    THE THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION:

  10. The Post-Communion Collect
  11. The Dismissal

These are the undergirding elements or the bones, upon which the flesh may be hung, thicker or thinner, here or there. Once you have the articulated bits, then it is a question of where to add the padding.

Practically speaking, any number of Western rites, so long as they included the minor Propers, would qualify but I also want a Traditional One-Year Lectionary and Traditional Kalendar -- vigils, octaves, and Ember days but no 'ordinary time' for me, please. (So while there is nothing wrong with the Novus Ordo service on paper, there is quite a bit wrong in practice.)

I'd also like a certain -- barbaric, Germanic -- coldness and simplicity and, of course, the English language (as it may be understood, but necessarily as it is in ordinary use, by the people). In light of what has been said, and for purposes of abbreviation (and to keep others on their toes), I call this:

Number Two. Norman Decorations.

2 comments:

  1. How many octaves, though? Just Christmas, Epiphany, Easter & Pentecost - or all of them?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let's start with the reasoning of 23 March 1955 and begin with Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.

    ReplyDelete