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Christian D's avatar

Would like to see liturgical abuses rather than legitimate liturgical options litigated this vigorously by our bishops but we’ll see about that.

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Lee's avatar

If only our bishops had as much zealous concern for whether Catholics believed in the real presence and regularly availed themselves of the sacrament of penance as they have for whether priests celebrate the liturgy using an ancient and venerable Christological posture. Yes, Christological - facing the rising sun.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't virtually every other apostolic Church, EO, OO, EC (except the Syro Malabar LOL, and perhaps also the Maronites) celebrate its liturgy facing east?

I am not a traditionalist. I can count the number of EF Masses I've attended in my life on one hand (maybe two) and typically came away feeling a little cold. I understand why we have the Mass in the vernacular and prefer it. I understand why we don't have to have the Graduale Romanum dictate which music we use at every moment. (Except, nota bene, study some history on overly indulgent music at the Mass and the reason for prior restrictions becomes a little more clear. But also, why music directors use their current freedom to choose such banal and non-prayerful music as is typical - that's another matter.) I understand why a reform of the liturgy was necessary and important.

But the Mass is not primarily didactic, nor is it entertainment, nor do we go to Mass to have our clerical overlords draw our attention to themselves. The Mass is prayer. Prayer we make together to God, with the priest acting in persona Christi. Those who hate ad orientem worship don't understand why we ever had it in the first place, and most especially don't understand how deeply it lives at the Church's roots. So I don't particularly blame them because they mostly are ignorant and/or lack formation on the topic. But it is very sad. It's like the Church woke up one day and decided to no longer use the Sign of the Cross.

Word to the wise for any priest or bishop unfortunate enough to be reading my silly comment: the people of God living in the age of the iPhone do not need you to entertain them. They need you to help them know how to quiet down and pray. Ad orientem worship is incalculably valuable in that respect. Try it and you'll see.

Lord have mercy.

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