Sir,— Has the Vatican Council made any suggestions or recommendations regarding the laity and Daily Mass? When I was a child, I learned that the Daily Mass "is by far the best and most profitable of all devotions". Yet the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy only refers to Sunday Mass, without a word or line on Daily Mass; although the laity are "to be encouraged to read the Divine Office". This may not affect the big oily churches and those parishes where midday and evening Masses were introduced some years back and still remain a great source of devotion. But in the majority of churches where no change was made, there is a tendency for the Mass to be tucked away at at' impossible hour of the morning. Surely a holy priest would welconic as many as possible to join in the holy Sacrifice? Isn't God more honoured 'in this way? Why then. with the present fasting laws cannot the daily Mass time be changed to suit the people? It takes no longer whether said in the early morning. at lunch time or in the evening, except that there might be extra people at Holy Communion — and surely the priest would welcome that as time well spent? If a convent cart choose its Mass-time to fit in with its timetable—surely the parish Mass said by the same priests could be arranged to help the laity to be present. Surely there is great merit in God's eyes for those ordinary people who travel long distances on busy days to worship and honour God? Would not the parish itself gain spiritually?
Daily Mass times are seldom publicly announced — yet this would draw attention to them. and focus on the importance of the daily Divine Sacrifice, Could not the priest fix his daily Masses at* the beginning of the week, and keep to those times. pivoting his day around them'? Is anything of more importance than the Mass?
Funeral and Wedding Masses can he arranged by the priest duplicating if necessary. Old. frail people who have turned up two or three times for a Mass that has Unaccountably been cancelled at the last minute get frustrated. justifiably. Many of us have been waiting for some guidance or ruling on Daily Mass. Perhaps the bishops are unaware of this great need among the laity, perhaps the priests really believe that only nuns appreciate this great privilege. Now seems the time to bring this matter to the light — not on any personal or petty grounds — hut so that Almighty God may receive more honour and glory daily among His people.
Edward F. Cross,
Hampshire.