Priests from Nebraska lead rite's resurgence of Latin Mass [Ecumenical]

I think that saying "it is an honor and a privilege to serve" is a good and accurate way to describe how I am feeling about it.

Maybe so. I hope not. I guess it depends what the meaning of "is" is.

Here's the thing: words come with their own meanings; they don't mean whatever we want them to say. Privilege means entitlement. As in "rank has its privileges", you know? Anyone who says "it's a privilege to serve you" as an expression of humility simply doesn't know the meaning of the word.

Similarly with "honor". What's it mean to say "it's an honor to serve"? In what sense is this possible? Does it mean you have received an honor? (no, because it isn't about you) Does it mean your service is honorable? (no, because it shouldn't reflect on you at all.) To feel honored is to enjoy recognition and praise: I doubt that's what you have in mind. Well, to repeat myself yet again, it makes no sense to call altar service an honor because it's not about us.

Look. I don't want to be rude and I appreciate your attempt to explain how you feel. And I don't want to be a tiresome bore -- really. But you have picked the wrong words to convey what you feel. And I wouldn't pick on you except that words influence the way people think about things. Use words like privilege and honor often enough and some people will come to believe that their little church jobs really are their private property and really do have some connection to their inner spiritual life. And one of the things that sets me off because one of the most destructive features of Catholic parochial life in our time is the swarms of busy bees buzzing about the sanctuary as an extension of their personal piety. To the point where we have ranks of ushers in matching used car salesman sport jackets, and everybody's darling Junior and Princess dressed in those cute little monk's outfits to be altar servers; your neighbor Mike is lector, proudly walking in processions; your other neighbor Ms McCarthy is the booming cantor (sing to the HAND, everybody!), and all the poor saps in pews who don't have the connections to get into the offertory procession have to settle for aping the priest's "orans" posture at the "and also with yous" and holding hands at the Our Father (lifting them at the end for a rousing wave effect). And this is the garbage that's supposed to be "active participation."

Oops...that last post should have been a private mail post. Sorry ‘bout that.

Anyway, there is another TLM on Long Island (though not as close to Great Neck as the Uniondale chapel): SAINT MATTWEW’S CHURCH in Dix Hills. TLM every Sunday and Holy Day at 9:00am in the chapel. First and Third Sundays are High Mass (suspended for the summer) and Second and Fourth are Low.

My sons serve at the altar. They take their jobs VERY seriously and they seek no praise for themselves. That being said...because of their young age, encouraging words work wonders getting over the jitters. Saying “atta boy” to a 10-year-old who has just spent months memorizing large passages in Latin isn’t such a bad idea (IMO). My oldest was nearly catatonic with worry when an older boy fell ill and he was pressed into service as the thurifer. I honestly thought the child was going to faint from the panic. (He didn’t.)

Regards,

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