Thursday, April 17, 2014

Donkeys and Asses


One of my parishioners asked, "Father couldn't we have a donkey for Palm Sunday next year?"
"Why?" I asked,
"For the children", she replied.
"Can't you teach them to be content with the ass God has sent them and is here every Sunday, rather than coveting their neighbour's donkey.

....


Whilst we are on the subject, for the North American who read here last year the word is pronounced 'ass' as in 'ass-embly' or 'lass' not  as in 'farce'.

While I'm rambling, another of my parishioners said, "You know, Father up until the Council we all used to say 'Mass' as in 'pass', then suddenly we had to say 'Mass' as in 'crass'. Off-guard, I still occasionally find myself saying 'Holy Mass", as my American friend pronounces 'ass'.

13 comments:

Eccles said...

Isn't this partly a North-South thing? Southerners say "pass" to rhyme with "jars", while northerners rhyme it with "gas".

However, at the Oratory, there are definitely people who attend "Mars".

Richard Collins said...

Bruvver E is right. "Mars" is Knightsbridge Catholic speak.
A holy Easter to you Father.

Nicolas Bellord said...

Surely one pronunciation is the Irish long A and the other the English short A?

Adrian said...

'Marse' used to be a sign of rather upper-class Catholics - as a long 'a' (even in 'ass') still tends to be a 'U' indicator.

john-of-hayling said...

Oh Bruvver - do their spouses attend Venus?

JARay said...

I pronounce crass in exactly the same way as I pronounce Mass but there's an "r" there so it is krass and has nothing to do with arse. An "a" for me has always been pronounced as in apple, or about, or anchor. The Italians have the same pronunciation! Adio.

Liam Ronan said...

Now now, Father. You might have more properly compared your priestly ministry with the donkey's colt. John 12:15
Have a blessed Easter.

Gungarius said...

We have EF Marss and OF Mass. Very useful and quick way of knowing which form.

PS - the anti robot text is almost unreadable. I had to pass about eight times.

Paul Hellyer said...

This discussion of how to pronounce the word 'Mass' just shows how middle class and irrelevant the church has become. Where are the poor the maginalised in your well heeled congregations? Where are your big families? They have been contracepted out of existence. But you can waste energy discussing how to pronounce Mass while the marginalised Catholic feels out of place in your posh church.

Genty said...

Tut, tut, Father. You know very well that the 'children' must be entertained . . . . .

Fr Ray Blake said...

Don't be silly Bradisma, it shows how narrow and excluding it has become, though maybe that is the same thing.

Pétrus said...

@Brandsma

Anyone who has attended Mass at St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton will know it is anything but a "posh church"

The congregation are poor - it is an inner city parish in the "most Godless city in England".

Crux Fidelis said...

Here in Greater Glasgow the words Mass, crass, pass and ass all rhyme.

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