In light of the fact that it's Sunday and I just finished my first research paper for Catholicism in the US, I thought I'd share a little of what I've learned with you.
First of all, my paper is an exploration of the impact of Vatican II's document Sacrosanctum Concilium, also called "The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy," and the subsequent changes to the liturgy. To complete the paper, I read the whole document, an additional subsequent document, a motu proprio issued by Pope Benedict XVI, and four books written by priests, bishops, theologians, a Lutheran observer of Vatican II. I also did a lot of historical research about the different forms of the Mass to put everything in context.
You might be interested to know that the oldest surviving form of the Mass in the Tridentine Mass, which was celebrated, completely unaltered, for over 400 years preceding Vatican II. It's the Mass where the priest faces the altar away from the congregation and speaks mostly in Latin. The Mass we celebrate today is called Novus Ordo Missae, or "New Order of the Mass". In a lot of ways it's easier to follow and much more inclusive of the laity, but its departure from the Tridentine and close similarities to the Protestant services upset many conservative Catholics. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued a letter allowing priests to celebrate the Tridentine Mass at their discretion, an allowance that was widely celebrated by orthodox Catholics. (For reference, the above picture is of a stripped, modern Novus Ordo altar and celebration, while the photo below is of the Tridentine Mass).
Out of curiosity, I YouTube'd "Tridentine Mass" and found a full-length, totally accurate celebration of the Tridentine High Mass. I watched the whole thing, utterly transfixed with the beauty and mystery of it. It's crazy how the two Masses celebrate the same thing but are totally foreign. I highly suggest you check it out. I know it's tough to carve an hour out of your day sometimes, but you absolutely will not regret it, even if you decide you never ever want to experience it again (as for me, I found a Church back in Seattle that celebrates it every Sunday, and plan to check one out in person as soon as I can). If you decide to watch, also Google "Tridentine Mass English translation" and follow along with the side-by-side English-Latin online Missal.
Do it tonight, as an extra dedication on Sunday, or really any other day of the week to infuse a bit of worship and faith tradition into your day. Or maybe if you're really busy, save it as a special sacrifice of your time during Lent. You won't regret it.
