From Father Martindale Site—The problem of our collective and public worship is so important trial thc letter from One of the Workers " tleSerVeS close and sympathetic attention.
The essence of the matter is: " Is there a hest way, among many good ways, of assisting at Mass? Your correspondent tends to feel that the old days were free and " spacious "; to-day, it looks as if we were tie;ng dragooned into using one way only. No: but if there is a " best " way, we would like all Catholics to end by preferring it. The chief Sunday Mass (especially when sung) is our official collective worship. It is therefore less good if those present at it pray in isolation from their neighbours; it is leiter i? they pray as tile prays, and do not use " pet prayer-books." The Holy Ste has said again and again that it wishes the laity to participate actively and vocally in the offering of Mass. This point, then, seems outside of dispute. At Low Mass, no method is good Zealand, have heard two main ot lions. (1) The church would be m untidy. Let it he! "Catholic Actis Men gni' women would l soon clear it (2) Expense. Not enough priests sin stock the leaflets. Five years ago, 17 be not. To-day 1 think they would, ' impulsion given by the Catholic He might well be sufficient by itself to em an adequate circulation. May Fa. Peeler's sumestion—include it m ; piement—be adopted! I think a fuse indemnify the 1-Jerald for its prelimin expenses could be created. Then Herald's own circulation would go up, the sake of the leaflet. Then it cc publish the " leaflets " as a small lx and that would enhance its prestige, maybe augment its revenue!
C. C. mArtriNctata
Communion Before Mass
SIR,—The sting is in the tail of : Roger Kynaston's last letter.. Admit freely what he says, the aspect of "Sacrum Convivium" is hidden by C( minion before Mau, q1U1 91A 8hroio ourselves, etc., etc. But his last sentc cannot go unchallenged. The "gain to our souls" of Holy C( rnunion (even before Mass) is too deli( and individual a question to be arg here. The statement that our "minds impoverished " (presumably by this pt tice?) offends, reiterate; the faithful will be preven from receiving Our Lord as often as t have no time to wait for Mass, and co across a liturgy-conscious priest v refuses them Communion before. I referring to week-day Communions, course. Any well-instructed Catholic E fess to receive Communion 445 11 and knows it is the right and proper Li to do so. But the sacraments were m: for Catholics, and not vice versa, Father Martindale's word of warn about "detaching Communion fr Mass" may be timely and serviceal although I do not think an instruc pactisino Cathe4c wNA the error of confusing a sacrament win " devotion," Our Lord Himself gave His ariosi their First Communion prior to the c, summation of His sacrifice on Calva but this is going too far I think, and no bearing on the controversy in qu lion,
WINIFIRLD RILLY
I. Scotch George Lane. Knaresborough.