WHAT IS GOOD LITURGY?

 

Deacon Fritz Bauerschmit at Praytell has an opinion piece on good liturgy and what we are use to experiencing. You can read his commentary HERE.

Since I have the privilege of celebrating both forms of the one Roman Rite, the ancient and modern, I think I have a unique view on what is good liturgy.

As it concerns the TLM, I don’t think that discussing the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as good or bad is a part of a traditionalist’s lexicon. They might speak of valid or invalid, licit or illicit. Some prefer a Low Mass and think that is good enough for them. Others want a regular High Mass and still others would be thrilled with the Solemn High Mass with all the bells and whistles and would be spastic over a Pontifical Solemn Mass with capa Magna and all the bells and whistles. Other traditionalists might find that a bit off-putting. 

I think if a priest is incapable of reading and chanting Latin, that would be seen as bad. If a priest left out parts of the Mass, that would be seen as bad.

For me, a priest who wears sandals with or without socks, and with socks would be simply dreadful for me to see, that is horrible, distracting and to be condemned to the deep, hot fires of hell. 

I think a TLM Mass celebrated by a priest in a robotic and non-human way is bad. I think that if the laity aren’t engaged in what is happening during the Mass and prefer popular devotions during Mass that is bad. 

As it concerns the Modern Roman Mass, I simply find horrible priests who wear sandals to celebrate Mass with or without socks. Both should be consigned to the fires of Gehenna. I don’t like sandals with socks, but sandals with naked feet causes me to think I might throw up. It’s that bad for me. 

The antics of a priest or bishop that are improvised and self-referential, causes the liturgy to be bad.

The music selected for the Mass by the choir director or the priest or some committee can make the liturgy bad. My taste is excellent but everyone else’s, if not my taste, is bad for the Mass.

Not reading the black and doing the red makes the Mass bad.

Excluding one or so of the way too many options allowed makes the Mass bad. 

Irreverence, folksiness, banality, ordinariness, and everything else works against a good liturgy in the Modern Form.

Good liturgy in the Modern Form for me, and this is highly individualistic as is every evaluation of the Modern Mass, is a Mass that the Propers are chanted and the laity participate in their parts internally and externally and the priest doesn’t foist his looks or personality onto the Mass, thus it is ad orientem and there is reverence throughout especially when receiving Holy Communion kneeling, preferably.