Let Me Jump In With The Heavyweights
Posted by: tony on 04/21/2008 01:32 AM
Updated by: tony on 04/21/2008 01:37 AM
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Expires: 05/22/2008 12:00 AM
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I'm not worried about getting pummeled, I'll probably simply be ignored, but it's going to be fun to add my commentary to the mix.
Mark Shea and Amy Wellborn have been having a discussion about the Papal Mass in Washington.
Amy replies (with my comments interspersed):
I disagree. I think you exaggerate. The bloggers and most of the commenters on this matter are mostly people who work in liturgy. They are musicians, liturgists and priests. It's natural that they critique. They are professionals.
Agreed. I'm simply pointing out, however, that, nonetheless, the hysteria that often infects such commentary has real effect on real people. My correspondent (a deeply devout convert) told me that if they really believed that Catholic fidelity meant a life focused on the anger and bitterness they see in combox liturgy wars, they'd be out of the Church like a shot. "I want to worship Jesus, not the liturgy", said my correspondent.
As a recovering Mass nit-picker, I have a dog in both fights. I have watched some of the commentary with regard to the Pope's Mass that some have criticized as "not Catholic enough". Since the Holy Father approved, I guess what these people are saying is that they are more Catholic than the Pope.
Most of the criticism revolves around the music, which Mark rightly explains:
Unlike Apollo, God did not set forth a given musical style. Each culture brings its own to the Mass.
Exactly.
But one thing I do want to comment on is the dismissive sounding tone of Mark's commenter who said:
"I want to worship Jesus, not the liturgy"
Christ gave us the liturgy. We are supposed to do it the way He wants us to. There is a specific way he wants things done. He showed us how to do it. Each of the sacraments (and Holy Communion is one of them) is supposed to be done in a certain way, with certain matter and certain words.
However, there's a certain flexibility accorded the liturgy. Some of the things such as the black and red should be read and done accordingly exactly as laid down. Liberties should not be taken with those prayers, because we are not doing them in a vacuum, we are doing them at exactly the same moment, irrespective of time, with any gathering who has ever celebrated the Mass including Jesus at the last supper and the Communion of Saints in Heaven.
That having been said, there may very well be a Latin chant being sung at the opening, or a David Haas song, or even an exuberant Swahili hymn complete with native instrumentation possibly even including drums.
This is the beauty of our Catholic faith. It includes everyone at every time in every area of the world and in Heaven.
Now I was at a Mass this weekend where the priest injected a Hail Mary after the Prayer of the Faithful. I love the Blessed Mother, but that had no place at that point in the Mass. He also ad-libbed during the consecration. That stuff has to stop. He also said during the homily and I quote: "The Pope is not infallible". That is heresy.
They sang standard OCP fare, that I can live with. They also stood during the consecration (there are no kneelers in that church) which is allowed also. This means I can live with that too.
The reform of the reform crowd ought to concentrate on those aspects of the Mass which are either prescribed and not done, or proscribed and done anyway. They should leave the music alone for a while. Do the important stuff first, and I believe they'll be surprised to find out the music just might take care of itself.
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