REVIEW: Laudamus Te – The Magazine of the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Liturgy of the Roman Rite

Many of you subscribe to or know the small booklet Magnificat, an aid for the post-Conciliar form of Holy Mass.  It is pocket-size and it is sent to you each, I believe, month.

There is now a similar aid for the Usus Antiquior, or Extraordinary Form, the Traditional Latin Mass.

Laudamus Te.  The Magazine of the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Liturgy of the Roman Rite

Since that says “Latin Liturgy”, I assume that they will eventually have something about, say, Vespers.  Latin Liturgy means a lot more than Mass.

In any event, the little booklet is very attractive at fist glance.

You can tell from the shine that it is glossy.

This for Advent 2012, Volume 1, Issue 1.

The contents show reflections by priests of yesteryear such as Fr. Faber and of today, of the FSSP, the Ordinary for the TLM, Prayers After Mass, a blurb from the Fathers of the Church, some catechism, and the Propers for Sundays and some feasts.

An example of a reflection by Fr. James Fryar, FSSP.

Some catechism.

The Ordinary has both the Latin and English and explanations of when to stand, sit, etc.

Here is an offering of original poetry.

The back has the Marian hymn Tota pulchra in Gregorian chant notation.  Thus, they didn’t dumb it down.

Within, artwork by our friend Daniel Mitsui.

Before each Mass proper, there is a meditation about and/or from the saint of the day or some other writer.  It is all very solid stuff.

Inside the back cover there is an explanation of the English translation they use.  They went with the translations used by the Maternal Heart of Mary Traditional Mass Chaplaincy in Lewisham, Sydney, Australia, which in turn seem to be stitched together from various sources.  In sooth, the English presenteth thy, ”thees and thous”.  It was interested to see for the priest’s Communion prayer Corpus Tuum, Domine, the rendering – I double-checked – “May Thy Body of Lord [sic], which I have received and Thy Blood which I have drunk, cleave to my inmost parts…”  Okay… they need to work out the kinks.  ”May Thy Body, O Lord, …” might work better.  Opening the book to a feast at random, I see they rendered the Secret for St. Peter Chrysologus (Sancti Petri Pontificis tui atque Doctoris nobis, Domine, pia non desit oratio: quae et munera nostra conciliet; et tuam nobis indulgentiam semper obtineat.) as:  ”May the holy prayer of St. Peter, Thy Bishop and Doctor, fail us not, O Lord: may it render our offerings acceptable, and ever obtain for us Thy pardon.”  Hmmm… not so much.  Not bad, but it could be better.  It is perfectly comprehensible and a couple steps above daily language, which is important. A quick web search lead me to the same text on the site of Air Maria.

This new magazine is easy to carry to Mass with you.  The type is a bit small, for those who have problems with such things.  That is why God created eye-glasses.

One year subscription is $32 per year. They have a volume rate, which will help parishes and chapels.  I didn’t find them on amazon, alas.  They could also use an affiliate program.  Their website shows that they are just getting started.  HERE.