Great post about true humility in relation to the liturgy:
When I first learned to say the older form of the Mass of the Roman Rite, that is to say, when I first learned how to say Mass, because there has never been a single of day of my priesthood when I couldn’t say it, I admit that I was deeply uncomfortable with some of the gestures prescribed by the rubrics. I even resisted them. For example, the kissing of the objects to be given to the priest, and the priest and the kissing of the priest’s hands… that gave me the willies.
I resisted those solita oscula because I had fallen into the trap of thinking that they made me look too important.
The fact is that none of those gestures were about me at all. They are about the priest insofar as he isalter Christus, not insofar as he is “John”. For “John” all of that would be ridiculous. For Father, alter Christus, saying Mass, it is barely enough.
When you see the deacon and subdeacon in the older form of Holy Mass holding, for example, the edges of the priest’s cope when they are in procession, or when you see them kissing the priest’s hand, or bowing to him, or waiting on him or deferring to him or – what in non-Catholic eyes appears to be something like adoration or emperor worship – you are actually seeing them preparing the priest for his sacrificial slaughter on the altar of Golgotha.
Foolishness to the world 
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Deborah, you might be interested in seeing this posted on CatholicAnswers about the Pope’s sartorial sense. It is written by a Franciscan Friar, and he posits that Pope Francis is absolutely acting within Tradition, just within the tradition of the “Regular” popes (those who are religious) rather than those who were secular priests. We are not familiar with “regular” tradition, because we haven’t had a Religious pope in over 100 years. It explains a lot, including specifically about the vestments chosen for today. There are a number of posts, so make sure to scroll down!
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=10505669
wayfarer,
You said: It is written by a Franciscan Friar, and he posits that Pope Francis is absolutely acting within Tradition, just within the tradition of the “Regular” popes (those who are religious) rather than those who were secular priests.
I can neither verify nor dispute this, but I like what I have seen of the new pope’s style and the substance of his message.
But if this is true, it begs the question of why there is a difference — and it also points to woefully inadequate spiritual formation in the (mostly diocesan) seminaries that trained the secular popes.
Norm.
Fr Z. – your honest commentary on the ‘customary kisses’ and viewing them from the Celebrants ‘ alter Christus ‘ perspective ranks among the very best, most inciteful texts i have ever read. thank you