I'm just sayin'...

For several reasons, mostly to do with the “shortage” of priests, our preferred Mass – the extraordinary form, offered at a parish 45 miles from our house – is unavailable for a few weeks.

Our alternatives are few, and they are all the Novus Ordo Mass – not that I have anything against the ordinary form of the Mass, per se. But as it is celebrated in most of the parishes around here, it leaves a lot to be desired. This is mostly due to the music: The musicians, in most cases, are pretty darn good. But the music is OCP music; most of it is just bad music. And bad music sung well is still bad music. There’s not much you can do to salvage it.

But here’s a question for you: Why is it that the extraordinary form of the Mass gets bumped when the priest is too busy? (I’m NOT criticizing our priest here. He has worked hard to learn the EF Mass, and he has defended our right to have it, and he celebrates it for us every Sunday…okay ALMOST every Sunday.)

I’m just pointing out that we are still relegated to the “back of the bus”. No one really questions why the Sunday EF Mass has to be suspended. No one asks why we can’t suspend the 9:30am Sunday Mass instead, and just tell everyone to come to the 1pm “Traditional Latin Mass”. Oh…and by the way, why does the EF Mass always have to be at an odd time – always working around the established schedule of the OF Mass?

We all know the answer, I think.

Okay, I guess it can be argued that it’s better to inconvenience the handful of faithful EF Mass attendees, rather than the group that fills about ¾ of the church at 9:30. But wait a minute…what if we don’t disturb their time at all? Let’s simply have the EF Mass at 9:30! Wow. I can imagine the letters to the bishop, should THAT happen! OMG! The people MUST be allowed to have “their” Mass! Right? Hmm. Think about it. Think about those who consider the EF Mass to be “their” Mass. Does the shoe fit both feet?

Seriously, I think it would be very beneficial for the 9:30 crowd to get a taste of their Catholic heritage in the EF Mass. They are NOT going to come to the 1pm Mass, because they “like” their 9:30 Sunday schedule. The EF Mass must come to them. What would be so harmful about switching the times now and then? Imagine the pastor announcing: “On the third Sunday of every month, the EF Mass will be celebrated at 9:30am. Those who prefer the Novus Ordo may attend at 1pm.” Who knows how many of those who show up at the EF Mass would find something worth pursuing, should they have the privilege of experiencing it a time or two?

Of course, every priest in this diocese knows he would be lynched at the end of Mass if he made such an announcement. Now there’s a sorry commentary.