Feb 13, 2011

"Let's get this out of the way" and "last chance" Masses

I was feeling a bit oofey this morning and ended up going to one of those "last chance" Masses. Big mistake, let me tell ya. I like to think that the music is terrible at these Masses in a way that is unique to the fact that the are in the evening. I'm afraid that this isn't exactly true though.

I think we need to put in new rules about both the "last chance" and the "let's get this out of the way" Masses.
1. Anticipatory Masses must take place entirely after dark. That means that come summer they might well have to be after 10pm.
2. Sunday evening Masses really shouldn't take place in the evening, they should take place completely in daytime. In winter that means the Mass should be over by something like 5pm.
3. They must be markedly more solemn than they have been, no longer being the "gray hair" and "youth" Masses that they've come to represent respectively.
4. Limit access to these evening Masses. If there are multiple parishes in a city, parishes should be chosen by the ordinary to offer these Masses. Not every parish should have them.
5. They should be Extraordinary Form wherever possible, but at least ad Orientem.

This is just a short list. Do you have any other suggestions?

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