Asperges Me

One of the most regrettable results of the post-conciliar liturgical reforms (such as they are) is the near disappearance of the venerable Asperges Me from most Catholic parishes.

If you are unfamiliar with the old Latin Mass, the Asperges Me is a ritual performed immediately before Sunday High Masses in which the priest sprinkles those present with holy water while words from Psalm 50 (51 for you Protestants) are sung, followed by a doxology:

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

Having formed all four of my children in the traditional Mass, I’ve noticed that the Asperges captures their imaginations in a special way. It’s always the first chant they memorize and start singing around the house, and it’s never omitted when the boys play Mass at home.

They watch intently as the priest processes through the church, waiting patiently for their turn to receive a sprinkle, and imitate his reverent pause to bow when the schola invokes the Holy Trinity. It is through this thousand year old ritual that children come to understand the importance of their own baptism.

Most importantly, the Asperges gives us all a sense of our total unworthiness before Almighty God, thanksgiving for the saving waters of our baptism, and our need of forgiveness for our sins.

These physical, tangible rituals of Catholicism can make Protestants, often accustomed to a more cerebral and abstract worship, somewhat uncomfortable. But Holy Mother Church recognizes that we are beings of both body and soul. In our proud modern age, performing these rituals with piety and humility can sometimes teach us more truth than the most eloquent sermon.