The Traditional Latin Mass - Columbia, SC

"Dad, Can we please go to the Latin Mass again next month?" - This was the general reaction from my children on the way home from the Traditional Latin Mass celebrated by Fr. Gabet FSSP at Good Shepard Catholic Church in Columbia yesterday.

I asked my 11-year old son this morning (after attending the Novus Ordo), why he liked the Latin Mass better. For one, he said he liked the priest praying inaudibly during the Canon. When asked why, he said, "I'm not sure. It just seems to make more sense for him to pray silently." He also said, "I hope within about two years this Mass (the Traditional) is the more common one." (Agressive expectations!)

My 9 year-old and my 6 year-old both (when asked separately) said the Traditional Mass made them feel closer to God. They all especially like the chant (it was a sung high Mass).

I asked Mrs. Curley for her thoughts. She said the prayers in the Traditional Mass were much more beautiful (than in the Novus Ordo). Not to quote her, but she essentially said that the two Masses are different: the Novus Ordo is like praying with the priest on your own behalf and the Traditional Latin Mass was more like worship, the prayers were both longer and more beautiful - (realizing that 'I am nothing' and that God is everything - you need His love and mercy.) Here you witness the priest offering the Sacrifice on your behalf as you pray silently. [Note that this is my interpretation of her longer explanation.]

At the same time, Mrs. Curley thought the prayers being said audibly in Latin while she tried to follow the English in the Missal was distracting. Also distracting was the Canon being said inaudibly - distracting in that it was harder to follow where we were in the Canon.

3:00 in the afternoon is a difficult time to take young children to a 90 minute Mass (especially after a 1.5 hour drive) - yet our 3 and 4 year-olds were content throughout.

Is the Traditional Latin Mass inherently better? My children think so (albeit after only one Mass).

From the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!