Treasures from Fr Hunwicke's Archive

As you probably know, Fr John Hunwicke  --  of Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment  --  died late last  year.   And at least by me, he has been greatly missed.  There were a few posts he had in the queue to be published after his death.  But now, no more.  So it seemed to me a good idea to open his blog's archive and start reading it again from the beginning.   This has been mostly a good idea; there is so much richness there:  good humour and brilliant insights combined with a beautiful style and enough Latin to "establish me in virtue", in particular the virtue of humility.  Every time I find myself patting myself on the back for my prowess in Latin,  I run across a few paragraphs from  Fr Hunwicke which remind me that I am, in my  wife's immortal phrase, only in the ha'penny place.

 Which brings us to the following paragraph.  This is from his post of 6 August 2008 entitled Liturgicam Authenticam on the subject of translation.  In this case, it's only the seemingly trivial phrase Ite missa est.  You can read the whole post -- it's here -- but the final paragraph touched the heart:

 Ite missa est has always been a problem. 'Go: it's the dismissal' has just seemed too, too banausic for anybody to sponsor it. I feel it could be justified; this formula has a bivalence, a unique double function and nature as being simultaneously the conclusion of the liturgical act and the resumption of the non-liturgical world; at one a part and not a part of the Mass; so perhaps it could have done with having such a unique and striking literary form. I am cautious about developing the dismissal element in the mass. Among Anglicans such development has led to unfortunate turgidities like 'Send us out into the world in the power of thy Spirit to live and work to thy praise and glory'. I do hope that my RC friends will not allow themselves to be led down this path. The Eucharist is not a jolly useful springboard for the real Christian business of going out and changing the world and doing social service and voting Green. The Eucharist is the telos, the end and purpose of human life and existence, the Son's everlasting propitiation before His Father in a wonderful mysterion granted to be among us. Seeing the Mass as having a utilitarian purpose, however high and noble, is the beginning of godlessness.