Catholic New Media: Part 1 of ? (Liturgy)

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion in new media resources for Catholics looking to grow in their faith. It has been a hobby of mine to follow these developments with wonder and alacrity. I would like to share my excitement with you and make some recommendations, if I might, for the uninitiated for whom this may be uncharted territory.

My personal favorites are those sites actively promoting the liturgical “reform of the reform.” This does NOT mean these folks are retrograde reactionaries looking to dismantle Vatican II or the Ordinary Form of the Mass; however, they do generally feel that there has been an unnecessary and uncalled for “hermeneutic of rupture” following the council that created a destructive dichotomy, or an unnatural antagonism or antithesis, between the Holy Mass before Vatican II and the Holy Mass after Vatican II.

The adherents of the “reform of the reform” would like to witness a revitalization of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass not so much to replace or supplant the Ordinary Form so much as to encourage mutual enrichment between the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Mass.

This theo-babble basically boils down to web sites advocating the “reform of the reform” by offering audio and video clips, reflections, and pdf or doc files in the public domain. The core purpose is to disseminate the richness of the Catholic liturgical patrimony to the widest possible audience in order to educate and to form Catholics in their liturgical heritage.

This has been eye opening for me personally to say the least. And I would be lying if I didn’t say it has caused me no insignificant amount of discomfort to realize how much of my heritage has been arbitrarily denied to me in a manner wholly inconsistent with the teachings of Vatican II under the guise of “the spirit of Vatican II.” Apparently, few have actually read the Council’s teachings on liturgy in Sacrosanctum Concilium, and yet many claim to speak authoritatively on the matter.

Without further ado, here are my Catholic new media recommendations for liturgical issues:

Articles on All Things Liturgical:

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/
http://www.adoremus.org/

Understanding the Extraordinary Form:
http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/

Chant Resources Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed:

http://musicfortheliturgy.org/
http://chabanelpsalms.org/responsorial_psalms.htm
http://antoinedanielmass.org/kyriale/
http://isaacjogues.org/chants/
http://lalemantpolyphonic.org/home/index.htm
http://renegoupil.org/

Here is a video promoting the upcoming colloquium on liturgical music:


SACRED, BEAUTIFUL, & UNIVERSAL: Colloquium XIX from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.