"A REMARKABLE TURN AROUND"

I would like to share with you my reflections and observations in today's Papal Liturgy re: Solemn Mass of the Baptism of Our Lord in the Sistine Chapel. In his homily the Pope underscored the importance of the family. He said that the family is the bedrock of society. The Pope baptized thirteen Children. These children were the children of Vatican Employees.

One thing remarkable about today's celebration was the ad orientem position of the liturgical celebration of the eucharist. Ad Orientem is the liturgical orientation of the celebration where celebrant and faithful are turned towards the east. So today instead of celebrating from the wooden table, Pope Benedict celebrated the Eucharist using the Old Altar in the Sistine Chapel. The reason given for the use of the old altar was that the same altar was suitable for the architechtural style of the chapel. But what is remarkable about today's celebration was that the Pope for the first time since 1970 has celebrated Mass in the Ad Orientem position in contrast with the contemporary practice of Ad Populum.

Sacrosanctum Concilium never spoke of Ad Populum, however it became the norm in succeeding years after the Second Vatican Council.

While a Cardinal, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger has spoken about the Direction of Liturgical Prayer in his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy". In that book Cardinal Ratzinger showed his disagreement about the current position of Liturgical Prayer(Ad populum). In speaking about the Priest facing the people, he said thus "The turning of the priest toward the people has turned the community into a self -enclosed circle. In its outward form, it no longer opens out on what lies ahead and above, but is closed in on itself. The common turning toward the east was not "celebration toward the wall"; it did not mean that the priest "had his back to the people": the priest himself was not regarded as so important. For just as the congregation in the synagogue looked together towards Jerusalem, so in the Christian liturgy the congregation looked together "toward the Lord". As one of the fathers of Vatican II's Constitution on the Liturgy, J.. Jungmann, put it , it was much more a question of priest and people facing in the same direction, knowing that together they were in a procession toward the Lord. They did not close themselves into a circle; they did not gaze at one another; but as the pilgrim people of God they set off for the Oriens, for the Christ who comes to meet us." (Spirit of the Liturgy, Joseph Razinger, Ignatius Press, 2000. p. 80). This indeed is a remarkable comment from a theologian who was once peritus for the Archbishop of Munich during the Second Vatican Council.

I hope that the liturgical reform undertaken by the Pope will trickle down to our parishes so that Liturgical celebrations will become more meaningful, connected to tradition, rich in symbolism and expressive of the faith and conviction of the Church.

After the mass the Fisherman's ring loosened from the ring finger of the Holy Father, thus after several steps the Pope turned around to look for the ring. The Papal Master of Ceremonies Guido Marini had to turned back to fetch the ring.

Watching the celebration and receiving the Holy father's Blessing "via the tube" was well worth it. Thanks to the Vatican Television and EWTN for bringing these events right into our living room.

Thanks be to God.