Then, in the middle of 2007, I attended an Orthodox Divine Liturgy for the first time, and a Vespers service shortly thereafter. The chanting, the incense, the bells, the gestures, the words... I found the whole thing very beautiful. In the past year, I have attended three Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgies and three Masses in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (i.e. the "Tridentine" or "Pian" or "Gregorian" Missal).
What I'd like to do with this contribution to the Christian Reconciliation Carnival is look at the structure and content of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite. This post complements Anne's post about the Lutheran "Common Service".
| Structure of the Roman Mass | |
|---|---|
| Extraordinary Form (E.F.) | Ordinary Form (O.F.) |
| Introductory Rites | |
| Entrance Procession | Entrance Procession |
| (see below) | Introit antiphon (often replaced by hymn) |
| (see below) | Approach and kissing of the altar |
| Sign of the Cross | Sign of the Cross |
| (see below) | "Dominus vobiscum" (Greeting) (one of several greeting texts) |
| "Iudica Me" (Psalm 42) | |
| "Confiteor" | Penitential Rite (Confiteor is Form A of three Forms) |
| "Deus tu conversus" | (dialogue suppressed, although part of this prayer is used as part of Form B of the Penitential Rite) |
| "Dominus vobiscum" (Greeting) | (see above) |
| "Aufer a nobis" (approaching the altar) "Oramus te Domine" (kissing of the altar) | (prayers suppressed, altar approached and kissed earlier) |
| Introit antiphon | (see above) |
| Kyrie (Lord, have mercy) (nine-fold) | Kyrie (Lord, have mercy) (six-fold) (omitted if Form C of the Penitential Rite was used) |
| Gloria (Glory to God) | Gloria (Glory to God) |
| "Dominus vobiscum" | |
| Collect(s) | Collect (only one) |
| Liturgy of the Word | |
| Lesson / Epistle | First Reading |
| Gradual | Gradual (often replaced by Responsorial Psalm) |
| Second Reading (Sundays and Solemnities) | |
| Alleluia / Tract | Alleluia / Gospel Acclamation |
| "Munda cor meum" (preparation by the Priest for reading the Gospel) | "Munda cor meum" (preparation by the Priest for reading the Gospel) (shortened) |
| Gospel | Gospel |
| Homily / Sermon | Homily / Sermon |
| Creed | Creed |
| Prayer of the Faithful | |
| Liturgy of the Eucharist | |
| Offertory collection | Offertory collection |
| "Dominus vobiscum" | |
| Offertory verse | Offertory verse (often replaced by a hymn) |
| "Suscipe, Sancte Pater" (over the bread) | "Benedictus es, Domine" (over the bread) (new prayer) |
| "Deus, qui humanae" (mingling of the water and wine) | "Per huius aquae" (mingling of the water and wine) (briefer prayer) |
| "Offerimus tibi, Domine" (over the chalice) | "Benedictus es, Domine" (over the chalice) (new prayer) |
| "In spiritu humilitatis" (prayer for offerings to be accepted) | "In spiritu humilitatis" (prayer for offerings to be accepted) |
| "Veni Sanctificator" (a sort of epiclesis) | |
| "Lavabo" (Psalm 25) with "Gloria Patri" | "Lava me" (verse from Psalm 51) without "Gloria Patri" |
| "Suscipe, Sancte Trinitas" (prayer to the Trinity) | |
| "Orate fratres" (invitation to prayer) | "Orate fratres" (invitation to prayer) |
| Secret (prayer over the offerings) | Super Oblata (prayer over the offerings) |
| "Dominus vobiscum, Sursum corda, Gratias agamus" (Preface dialog) | "Dominus vobiscum, Sursum corda, Gratias agamus" (Preface dialog) |
| Preface | Preface |
| Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) | Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) |
| Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer) | Eucharistic Prayer (13 to choose from), part 1 |
| Memorial Acclamation | |
| Eucharistic Prayer, part 2 | |
| "Per ipsum" (Doxology and minor elevation) | "Per ipsum" (Doxology and minor elevation) |
| "Pater Noster" (Our Father) | "Pater Noster" (Our Father) |
| "Libera nos" (prayer for peace) | "Libera nos" (prayer for peace) (shortened) |
| "Quia tuum" ("For the Kingdom...") | |
| Fraction (breaking of the Host) | (see below) |
| "Haec commixtio" (mingling of the Body and Blood) | (see below) |
| Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) | (see below) |
| "Domine Iesu Christe" (prayer for peace) | "Domine Iesu Christe" (prayer for peace) (slightly altered) |
| Pax (sign of peace) (only at solemn Masses) | Pax (sign of peace) |
| (see above) | Fraction (breaking of the host) |
| (see above) | "Haec commixtio" (mingling of the Body and Blood) |
| (see above) | Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) |
| "Domine Iesu Christe" (prayer for holiness) "Perceptio Corporis" (prayer for grace) | "Domine Iesu Christe" (prayer for holiness) or "Perceptio Corporis" (prayer for grace) (slightly altered) |
| "Panem caelestem" (over the Host) "Domine non sum dignus" (priest, three-fold) | |
| "Corpus Domini" (Communion of the priest) | (see below) |
| "Quid retribuam" (over the Chalice) | |
| "Sanguis Domini" (Communion of the priest) | (see below) |
| "Ecce Agnus Dei" (Behold the Lamb) | "Ecce Agnus Dei" (Behold the Lamb) |
| "Domine non sum dignus" (people, three-fold) | "Domine non sum dignus" (people) (once) |
| (see above) | "Corpus Domini" (Communion of the priest) |
| (see above) | "Sanguis Domini" (Communion of the priest) |
| (see below) | Communion antiphon (usually replaced by a hymn) |
| "Corpus Domini" (Communion of the people) | "Corpus Christi / Amen" (Communion of the people) (new formulary) |
| "Quod ore" (Ablutions) | "Quod ore" (Ablutions) |
| "Corpus tuum" (Ablutions) | |
| Communion antiphon | (see above) |
| "Dominus vobiscum" | |
| Post-communion prayer(s) | Post-communion prayer (only one) |
| Concluding Rites | |
| "Dominus vobiscum" | "Dominus vobiscum" |
| "Ite, missa est" (Dismissal) | (see below) |
| "Placeat tibi" (prayer to the Trinity) | |
| "Benedicat vos" (blessing) | "Benedicat vos" (blessing) |
| (see above) | "Ite, missa est" (Dismissal) (one of a few variants) |
| The Last Gospel (John 1:1-14) | |
| Recessional (often with hymn) | Recessional (often with hymn) |
Whew! You can see that the O.F. (re)introduced some parts into the Mass, while simplifying some of the rites and also cutting out a large number of prayers. I didn't mention the numerous gestures, such as signs of the cross, kisses, genuflections, bows, etc.; these are greatly reduced in the O.F. I also didn't mention the Scriptural origin of many of the things said and done in the Mass.
Now comes my responses to some of Anne's questions. She asks: "How close is this to your own order of service? Are there differences? Are differences in the service used to highlight differences in theology?"
I mentioned that I grew up with the Ordinary Form. When I went to the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Christ Congregation (United Church of Christ) liturgies a couple years ago (before I started studying the liturgy) I was surprised how similar they were in format to the Mass I knew. They even used the same Lectionary (cycle of readings)!
Now, I have yet to research the Presbyterian, Methodist, and UCC liturgies, to know their history and when they came to be like they are today. I am curious if they modeled themselves after the Ordinary Form of the Mass... or if the Ordinary Form of the Mass modeled itself after their liturgies.
Either way, while there is an ecumenical reason for happiness at the similarities, there is also a cause for concern, at least from the Catholic perspective. Why do some Protestant liturgies so highly resemble the reformed Catholic liturgy, if the Catholic liturgy (or "law of prayer", lex orandi) is supposed to be an expression of the Catholic faith (or "law of belief", lex credendi)? This is my answer, then, to Anne's last question:
While the similarities between the liturgies may be helpful in ecumenical matters -- especially from the perspective of bringing people into the Catholic Church -- I wonder if these similarities might cause more damage to the goal of unity sought by the Catholic Church. I agree wholeheartedly with what Lumen Gentium (the Vatican II dogmatic constitution on the Church) says, that the one Church of Jesus Christ subsists uniquely* in the Catholic Church, but that elements of that one Church (which belong to her and consequently are ordered toward Catholic unity) are also found outside of the Church. But this can lead to the misconception that a Christian community only needs some of the elements; or that elements like the Eucharist (i.e. the Real Presence) and the ministerial priesthood and the Papacy are simply Roman traditions that are not necessary for the Church of Jesus Christ.
To put it more bluntly, if Catholics believe something very specific and special is happening at a Catholic Mass, then why does a Protestant liturgy look so similar (seeing as how the theology behind the Protestant liturgy denies key elements of Catholic theology)? Even discounting the use of Latin, the more traditional liturgy of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, the Extraordinary Form, is considerably different from virtually every Protestant liturgy, and as such, it makes its point known, that there is something fundamentally different going on.
* This statement from Lumen Gentium 8 has sometimes been interpreted to mean the Catholic Church no longer teaches or believes that it is the one Church of Jesus Christ. However, in 2007, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith answered that allegation in the negative: "The use of this expression, which indicates the full identity of the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church, does not change the doctrine on the Church. Rather, it comes from and brings out more clearly the fact that there are 'numerous elements of sanctification and of truth' which are found outside her structure, but which 'as gifts properly belonging to the Church of Christ, impel towards Catholic Unity'." (Responsa ad quaestiones, Q3)
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