✨The Ignored Richness: A Defense of Liturgical Parallelism Against Rationalist Myopia

The text "Defending So-Called Doublets by Understanding Parallelism," by Peter Kwasniewski, presents a vigorous defense of the apparent repetitions and redundancies in the traditional liturgy of the Roman Rite. It argues that what modern liturgists pejoratively called "doublets" are, in fact, examples of a profound and intentional theological parallelism. The author contrasts the view of the reformers who, influenced by an interpretation of Romano Guardini that characterized liturgy by a "linear singularity," saw these repetitions as useless and confusing. Kwasniewski compares this attitude to that of Enlightenment and Victorian critics who, blind to the perfection of Shakespeare's work, felt justified in "correcting" it, demonstrating a misunderstanding of the author's mastery. The central thesis, based extensively on Father Claude Barthe's work "Forest of Symbols," is that parallelism is not a flaw but a cognitive and spiritual method that enriches the liturgy, allowing the full meaning to be grasped through preparation, reinforcement, and cross-referencing.

🔑The Principle of Parallelism as a Key to Understanding

According to the text, the existence of parallels in the liturgy, far from being strange, is the norm in all art and even in human cognitive processes. The author uses the analogy of having two eyes and two ears to better perceive a single reality, or of a train running on two parallel tracks to remain stable. Reducing the liturgy to a "single, unaccompanied, and non-relational line" is described as a "rationalist failure" not found in any liturgical rite of divine-apostolic origin. Citing Fr. Barthe, the text establishes that the parallelism between the Offertory and the Roman Canon is not an incoherent anticipation but a carefully constructed system to deepen theological understanding.

🔍Detailed Analysis of the Parallels Between the Offertory and the Canon

The main body of the article details six specific parallels between the prayers of the traditional Offertory and those of the Canon of the Mass, as explained by Fr. Barthe:

The prayer Suscipe, sancte Pater, where the bread is offered as an "immaculate host" for sins, corresponds directly to the prayer Hanc igitur and the Consecration of the Host itself in the Canon, establishing the propitiatory purpose of the sacrifice from the outset.

The prayers Deus qui humanae substantiae (on the mixing of water and wine) and Offerimus tibi, Domine, calicem salutaris correspond to the Consecration of the wine. The text explores the rich symbolism of mixing water and wine, which represents the union of the faithful with Christ (St. Cyprian), the humanity of Christ (Council of Florence), and, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, possesses a threefold allegory: the Passion (blood and water from Christ's side), the union of the people with Christ, and the entry into eternal life.

The prayers In spiritu humilitatis and the invocation Veni, sanctificator (Come, Sanctifier) in the Offertory function as a parallel to the epiclesis Supplices te rogamus in the Canon. Both are a request for God's power to descend upon the sacrifice or for it to be lifted up to Him, although the author notes that the term "sanctificator" does not necessarily refer to the Person of the Holy Spirit.

The Lavabo (Psalm 25), which accompanies the washing of the celebrant's hands, prepares for the prayer Nobis quoque peccatoribus in the Canon. The act of washing hands symbolizes the purification of the priest's conscience, who, though declaring himself innocent in the psalm, later acknowledges himself as a sinner, asking to be admitted into the company of the saints not by merit but by forgiveness.

The great final prayer of the Offertory, Suscipe, sancta Trinitas, which offers the sacrifice in memory of the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension and in honor of the saints, is an anámnesis (remembrance) that directly mirrors the anámnesis of the Canon (Unde et memores) and the mention of the saints in the prayer Communicantes.

The invitation Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren) and the assembly's response, asking for the sacrifice to be "acceptable," echo the prayer Quam oblationem in the Canon, which asks God to bless and make the offering "acceptable." The author also notes that the priest's gesture in the Orate, fratres is identical to that of the final blessing and that the call to prayer reflects Christ's call to the apostles in Gethsemane.

🌍Parallelism as a Universal Characteristic of Divine Tradition

In conclusion, the text argues that this principle of parallelism is not exclusive to the Roman Rite but is also found in other rites, such as the Byzantine, and has its roots in the Word of God itself. Hebrew poetry, for example, is fundamentally structured on parallel phrases that echo each other. The author cites the prophet Jeremiah ("Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’") as a biblical example of emphatic and meaningful repetition. The final idea is that it is not enough to have a "valid rite" at its minimum; one must seek the "fullness of tradition," which includes these rich and complex structures of parallelism, as they are an integral part of how God communicates and gives Himself to His people.