Last night Rocky and I went to St. Rita's for the Tridentine Mass. It was for All Souls day and I can't remember a time when I've been so overwhelmed at Mass before. Everything was gorgeous. We had three (young!) priests in birettas and black vestments--- when I saw them I almost cheered. We had six well scrubbed altar boys. Those kids didn't make one mistake. We had chant provided by a schola choir. We had a sublime homily and the Dies Irae was the Sequence.
I cried the whole time. It's been a long time since I've felt like my heart was tearing itself out of my chest because of sheer, wild joy. That's what happened last night.
The church was packed and it was so quiet. I don't know if it's due to the action on the altar or the calming effect of chant but the babies and toddlers were very still and seemed to be happy. Young people were everywhere I looked. The Missionaries of Charity nuns came all the way from DC to attend the Mass and seeing the variety of veils on the ladies was cool. Everyone was decently dressed. I didn't see any butt cracks spilling out from low slung jeans and most of the young guys had on blazers. There were also a lot of first and second year seminarians there.
I almost couldn't walk out when Mass was over. I was so taken up with the love of Jesus that my legs didn't seem to want to work. There is something about the Traditional Mass that seems to let me be free to think, to pray to really focus on the holy sacrifice and who Our Lord is. In the Novus Ordo we are encouraged to be active, and to talk back and forth to the priest. In the Traditional Mass we are encouraged to pray hard.
I think I could've sayed for hours if Rocky hadn't had to go to work early the next day.
I don't know when St. Rita's will try this experiment again but I am sooooooo there when they do.