Excerpt from The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described: In Accordance With the Rubrics of Liturgical Books, the Decrees of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, the Code of Canon Law, and Approved Authors Maundy Thursday morning. P. 288. Maundy Thursd
Adrian Henry Timothy Knottesford Fortescue was an English Catholic priest and polymath. An influential liturgist, artist, calligrapher, composer, polyglot, amateur photographer, Byzantine scholar, and adventurer, he was also the founder of the Church of St Hugh of Lincoln in Letchworth.
This classic changed my entire perspective of the Holy Mass. Living, as we do, in the modern world, I had begun to look upon the Mass from the people-centric point of view. Every gesture and word was crafted in my mind to best draw people into the Mass. That meant that I had - as a priest - inadvertently made the Mass about the congregation and about me rather than about God. The worship of God must speak for itself! Fortescue writes beautifully and his reasoning is impeccable... People ask "does it really matter if you put the right thumb over the left? Aren't there starving children in Ethiopia???" Fortescue stomps the the absurdity of that nonsense and explains that there is no greater work than glorifying God with every gesture, limb and breath. A must read for priests!
An excellent technical manual for the Extraordinary Form (AKA TLM, Traditional Latin Mass, Tridentine Rite, Old Mass). The text also has some great general notes on liturgy, sanctuary decor, candles, servers and service in general. All in a worthwhile read for professionals and those directly involved in the service of the altar. Probably not so much for everyone else.