Today I MCd my first Requiem Mass, and competently according to two MCs and a few others. I hadn't counted on being the Master of Ceremonies, as Gordon said that he wanted to do it last week - but it was thrust upon me when I walked into the Sacristy and he told me that he wasn't feeling up to it. Naturally, I was nervous, but it went altogether smoothly. Jonathan pointed out one or two mistakes that I made, the amusing one being that at the Introit, I made as to make the Sign of the Cross but adjusted my glasses instead! I also knelt in plano at the end of Mass expecting a Blessing, but of course there isn't one at a Requiem Mass.
The Dies Irae is my favourite Sequence. I told a friend of mine this once, and he said to me: ''isn't the 13th century a bit modern for you!'' But no! It is always a joy to hear it sung. It is so full of pious longing and terror (quite rightly) at the Divine Majesty, painful sincerity, sorrow for our sins. It is in fact the dominant tone of traditional Catholic piety, art, literature and music - a tremendous longing for God's love and infinite mercy - a longing for things that cannot be found in this world, least of all provided by any secular proponent of ideologies or philosophy. Go to a traditional Catholic Requiem Mass, however, and just feel the other-worldly beauty of God which transcends all sentiment and feeling. Literal understanding seems superfluous. I have been to many New Rite Masses of Requiem and the feeling is entirely different - not so much moved to an eucatastrophic state of penitence and sorrow, thinking that this is so much greater than I am - but rather a feeling of ''yawn, how much more of this do I have to sit through?'' That may sound terrible to some people, but I have always found New Rite Masses (even in Latin) to be quite verbose and boring.
I did a translation of the Dies Irae last year (it was never marked, so forgive any solecisms). Here are some of my favourites:
Rex tremendae maiestatis,
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis.
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis.
O King of tremendous majesty,
Who dost graciously save those to be saved,
Save me, font of piety.
Save me, font of piety.
Preces meae non sunt dignae:
Sed tu bonus fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
Sed tu bonus fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
My prayers are not worthy:
But do Thou good kindly,
But do Thou good kindly,
Lest I burn in everlasting fire.
Pie Iesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Amen.
The above photo is of the central portal of Notre Dame de Paris' Western facade, depicting the Last Judgement. I am in love with Gothic architecture, it is far superior to Classical and Baroque styles in my opinion, and more expressive of Catholic theology. But that is just my opinion...
I agree as to the beauty of the Requiem, evoking the mysterium tremendum et fascinans, when in the face of inexorable death we mortals pray God for mercy, and for endless rest...
ReplyDeleteI also know the terror of being M.C.; I once M.C.'d a Requiem for a friend who died suddenly (please pray for Brett - he suffered a fit in bed, and choked on his own pillow, truly a horrible demise), and recall Fr Tattersall tapping the missal impatiently when I hesitated to move it after the ablutions.
That day I recall for an unfortunately incongruous detail: the catafalque, rather hurriedly cobbled together, was in fact Fr's ironing board, draped in black: as Brett had been a rather large fellow in life, the effect of this miniscule "coffin" was most inappropriately comic - it looked, as friends said, as if we were burying a hobbit.
Naturally Joshua, a little nervousness on the part of the MC (or indeed all the Servers) is toward, on account of the reality of what is going on at Mass. So much depends on the MC.
ReplyDeleteI shall indeed pray for Brett.