There have been a number of comments, and some are pretty
interesting. Many reacted to the notion that one may choose not to receive Holy Communion at a Mass that seems offensive. To them, it seems unthinkable to not receive Holy Communion because of the liturgical abuses one
sees. Even a priest suggested that one should never skip Holy Communion,
adding, “That would be madness. Even if the priest is dressed in a clown suit.”
Hmmm.
Another commenter said:
Please don't ever get so upset
with the presentation of the liturgy that you abstain from the Eucharist… If
we're honest, criticism over modern vs. traditional Mass are very similar to
criticism from those who say they don't attend Mass because they "don't
get anything out of it". Both instances miss the point by setting the
criteria of a successful liturgy with OUR satisfaction over God's.
No, I’m not talking about setting my own criteria of a “successful
liturgy”. I explained in a comment of my own that it’s not a matter of
liturgical “style”; it’s a matter of liturgical abuse. I am sure that Our Lord
weeps over the abuses He is forced to view on a daily basis. It’s not about my satisfaction with the liturgy; it is always about God’s. The Novus Ordo can be
celebrated reverently, but often it is not. When I am scandalized by liturgical
abuse, I prefer not to receive Holy Communion in that situation, especially if
the priest is doing or has done something egregiously out of order.
But the commenter objected again:
I truly believe that whenever
we worship God with sincere and grateful hearts He is pleased. I don't believe
there can be such a thing as "sloppy liturgy". It may be presumptuous
on my part, but I don't think God gets upset with an occasional change in the
"rubrics" which were established by the Church, because the Church
itself is comprised of creative human beings.
Well, we may be creative human beings, but we are not
allowed to create the liturgy spontaneously, as we did in the Assembly of God
church I once attended! And when people think that we are free to tamper with the liturgy, we end up with abominations
like the ones in the video I've embedded below. If this isn’t “sloppy liturgy”, I don’t know what
is! Even if some of these folks are attending with "sincere and grateful hearts"...this "liturgy" is just plain wrong.
