Faccio la Mamma nails me...

for having made her learn how to do links. ;-D She tagged me with this meme.

1. Do you attend the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo?

Novus Ordo. Given that I'm lector at the 5:15 Sunday Mass at our parish, it's kind of hard to conquer that time/space continuum thing. [If I ever figure it out, you'll be the first to know after the Star Trek people.] Having been old enough to have experienced the Latin Mass myself pre-Vatican II, I can see why people can be drawn to that particular aesthetic, but as my "default" Mass it's not my preference.

The unchangeable Latin parts of the Mass would not bug me. But the changeable parts, I fear DO require diligence on the part of the Mass goer. I'd never be one to sit praying my beads during the Mass. Personally, I think that's all wrong, and it would behoove me to take the time and follow along in "real time." And I'd be lying if I said "Ad Orientem" didn't irritate me. There's a reason Jesus said Mass around a table. I don't understand the whole argument about the priest "not turning his back on God." Kind of hard to when he's got God Almighty in his own hands in front of him. While I feel for priests who may be a little "shy?" to face the people - my guess is "being looked at" goes with the territory.

As long as the priest doesn't "perform" I'm good. Mine doesn't. I do think people who are moved by the Latin Mass have been persecuted by more than a few bishops long enough. I have heard that St. John the Evangelist in San Diego will afford people who are Latin Mass fans the opportunity of regular attendance at a TLM Mass - which is more opportunity than certain bishops, who shall go nameless gave "the people." Beats a cemetery chapel, I dare say. [Can you tell I'm a real big fan of the San Diego bishop? He's not on my Christmas card list, and I'm not on his, but I doubt either one of us loses sleep over it.] In one of my earliest posts on the Daily Telegraph, I wrote about it a bit more, some people may find my priest's own experience with the Latin Mass interesting.

2. If you attend the TLM, how far do you drive to get there?

I don't. But if I wanted to, about 15 minutes, with traffic lights, assuming someone also didn't put his head up his backside while driving on interstate 8.

3. If you had to apply a Catholic label to yourself, what would it be?

Catholic. Period. Any person "not in the know" regards Catholics being the patent holders of the term "Christian" gets a quick lesson.

4. Are you a comment junkie?

Sometimes - especially to encourage.

5. Do you go back to read the comments on the blogs you’ve commented on?

Yes, in case I'm asked a question, or if the topic is a hot one and interesting discussion ensues.

6. Have you ever left an anonymous comment on another blog?

Never any negative anon. comments. I figure if you're going to throw down a gauntlet, it's CS to try and do it from behind a tree. I can see an anon. comment in certain rare instances. For instance, sometimes one of the priests is expounding on a moral point, and for clarification someone may want to post as "Jill of the Amazing Wolverine Tribe" that would be understood. I'm with Fr. Blake though. If you decide to be "anon" for heaven's sakes don't just be "anon" because you and 20 other people may decide to be "anon" and you'd need a scorecard to keep the players straight. Give the poor blogger and readers a break and give yourself a moniker.

7. Which blogroll would you most like to be on?

Oh, I have a wish list, but I don't want to jinx it. There is one person, in particular, that I did wish blogged. And that would be Dr. Peter Wright. I always find his comments interesting, I have a feeling I'd find his blog interesting, should he choose to do one.

8. Which blog is the first one you check?

Mine! Then depending how the mood strikes I either go top to bottom on my blog roll or bottom to top. SOMETIMES when I don't have a lot of time, I go to Mac's blog, to use her blog roll, so I can position my cursor over the names of the blogs we have in common, and I can quickly see who's posted something new. For a while there I wanted to throw Fr. Blake into Fr. Owl and Fr. Owl into Fr. Boyle and Fr. Boyle into Fr. Stephanos and Fr. Stephanos into Fr. Nova and then Fr. Nova into Fr. Blake and Fr. Blake into Tiscali, on general principle, because none of the 5 of them had posted much if anything for a while in September and Fr. Hermaneutic and Fr. Mildew were having to carry most of the "priest blogs" that I regularly follow. I enjoy OTSOTA blog a lot too, but his takes forever and a day to load. And I love Philip's blog. I'd put Mac's feature on my blog re: the "quick check" thing, but then I don't want my blog to take forever to load - it's bad enough when I put a youtube vid up.

If someone had/has a hot issue going, I usually check that one first.

9. Have you met any other bloggers in person?

Fr. Stephanos a long, long time ago but only in passim and if he remembers it I'd be stunned. [Back in the early 90s I had time to attend evening vespers a lot - work in the early evenings has conspired against me lo these many years since then.] I *almost* introduced myself to him after Abbot Claude's funeral, but he came out to the burial plot to retrieve the holy water and take it back to the church, and I couldn't easily break off then from my friend Michele to hail Fr. S. 20 yards away - I figured I might run in to him at the reception which followed, but didn't.

10. What are you reading?

Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid"
Steven Suskind's "Second Act Trouble" (Behind the Scenes at Broadway's Big Musical Bombs) -- nothing fascinates like a train wreck.

I could lie and say I'm reading something really profound, like I finally have almost made it through City of God, but I'm not in the mood for a lightening strike or to fib and pick up a copy of some oeuvre by John Chrysostom. That's "winter reading" and I'm not there yet.

Bonus Question! Has your site been banned by Spirit of Vatican II?

They're not on my radar screen. I get the feeling though that if someone yelled "incoming" I wouldn't bother to duck. [In the same way as it's uncool to dive under a table and become unglued if an earthquake hits. The best thing to do to maintain a SoCal sang froid is to turn to one's dining partner and say: "I think that was about a 5.1, what do you think?"]

And now, like faccio - the greatest challenge; to find five people who haven't yet done the meme!

1. Fr. Stephanos

2. Fr. Mildew

3. Loved Sinner

4. Shoved to Them

5. Swiss Miss

If I missed any of you getting tagged on this one before, "oops" in advance. And if you want to do this meme and haven't done so yet, consider yourself tagged.
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