tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001212361881658125.post4123880302945449356..comments2024-03-09T08:49:51.461-05:00Comments on Downtown Monks: THE NEW MASS TRANSLATIONFr Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02195307683109646666noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001212361881658125.post-60448498187553111932011-12-09T20:01:24.935-05:002011-12-09T20:01:24.935-05:00The question about keeping the laity away from the...The question about keeping the laity away from the sanctuary raises lots of good areas for discussion. Maybe I can blog about a few of them in the future, but for the moment let me just make a few of quick responses. 1. The architecture of the church building influences to a great extent the sense of being drawn into the mass or being distanced from it. (Churches in the round and small chapels, for example, don't seem to have the problem you raise.) 2. Also, don't forget that there are areas of a church building that have specialized uses. The special chair for the presider (only), or the lectern which is reserved for the reading of scripture and nothing else. With this specialization of spaces in mind, we can see that the altar of sacrifice is used for the celebration of mass only, and the sanctuary around itis to be maintained and treated as an especially sacred space, not a thoroughfare, say, or a meeting place. 3. So what may look like "keeping people away" may be seen from a whole other point of view as well: the leader of song, for example is not supposed to use the scripture lectern to lead hymns, and the altar should not be used as a shelf for storing books, and so forth. 4. If a lay person feels "alienated" from the church, the solution does not seem to me to lie in the direction of undoing the designation of spaces in church for specific purposes. I'd suggest that we look at the deeper causes for why some folks feel distant from their church.Fr Alberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02195307683109646666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001212361881658125.post-73324846190668948742011-12-04T06:28:56.135-05:002011-12-04T06:28:56.135-05:00Father=Thank you for a better explanation than I r...Father=Thank you for a better explanation than I received at my home church. Could you explain why during the distribution of the Body and Blood the lay are kept away from the altar area? It seems to me that the church is "alienating" the populace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001212361881658125.post-2787593020220924902011-12-03T08:54:12.325-05:002011-12-03T08:54:12.325-05:00Excellent explanation on the purpose of the change...Excellent explanation on the purpose of the changes in the Mass. Thank you Father!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com