If you could, what changes if any would you make to the Ordinary Form?

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Hmm. I consider a 15 minute homily excessively lengthy
 
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Not only rosaries but they had prayer books that they used to pray with. I did a lot of litanies. I really never prayed the rosary during mass. Even though I knew what was going on in mass you really didn’t participate. The server answered for us. We just listened to the answers and of course there were the bells.
 
  • Encourage either silence or public rosary before Mass
  • eliminate the sign of peace altogether, instead encourage after-mass gatherings or activities (the sign of peace usually has as much sincerity as robotically saying “God Bless you” after sneezes)
  • eliminate hand-holding
  • use EMHCs in actual extraordinary circumstances only (like massive congregations)
  • eliminate songs during communion, encourage silence and prayer
  • recite the Lord’s prayer in Latin
  • eliminate “children’s masses” and other watered-down liturgies
  • put more effort into selecting the hymns, have them try to tie in at least tangentially to the day’s readings
  • no more jokes from priests or deacons
  • select gift bearers on a schedule instead of plucking poorly dressed folks from the pews two minutes before Mass; require bearers (who would volunteer) to adhere to a modest dress code
  • address tough moral issues in homilies, don’t avoid them
 
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Oh, so Jesus died on the Cross for you, but you can’t deal with a 25 minute homily.

Interesting.
 
Of course I could deal with it, but I go to Mass precisely to be present at Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, not for the homily.
 
Actually this is the recommendation from the Vatican. After five minutes, minds start to wander away but that isn’t the greatest reason. I have rarely heard a homily that acceded 15 minutes that did not do a lot of repeats. It is my opinion that short homilies focus better on the message. Greater than 15 not only repeat but are padded with unrelated ideas. Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith believes that homilies longer than 15 were the result of scarce preparation and are a type of liturgical abuse. An opinion with which i agree. Bishop Nikola Eterović believes that the the attention span is 8 minutes which I tend to agree with also. My reasoning than is on the attention span of the parishioners and the quality of the homily is improved by limiting the time.
 
The problem I have is not homilies that are too long but too short. There are some priests who just take a minute or two to restate the gospel without offering their own thoughts. I don’t recall many homilies that were over ten minutes.

I agree about using EMHCs only in extraordinary circumstances. When I go to EF Masses it’s one priest handling Communion for a almost full church. The same church is full for some OF Masses and it’s never more than one or two priests handing out Communion. Frankly it doesn’t take all that long to justify EMHCs. I’m not talking about Masses under both species.

People mentioned holding hands saying Our Father? I’ve never seen this.
 
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That’s pretty much what I would do. Except the Sign of Peace doesn’t bother me. Pardon my ignorance, but what does EPII stand for?
 
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I myself don’t mind a peaceful organ piece or plainchant after the communion antiphon.
 
Yes, I think something more quiet and solemn would be better than something like “Taste and See” or “The Gift of Finest Wheat” for example. Good idea.
 
Drums (with kids singing 🤢 )and hand raising? I might be tempted to go Anglican 😆
 
Eucharistic Prayer II. It’s become the ‘default’ so much so that I almost never hear another one. It wasn’t supposed to be that way and the Roman Canon (aka EPI) was supposed to have priority for Sundays and solemnities.
 
Oh no. My parish is OF but it leans to the more traditional side. Communion has a Latin antiphon followed by a something simple with a refrain ie Filii et Filiæ.
 
I personally would keep everything in the mother-tongue of the area performing the Mass (eg English where I’m from), but I would make everything about the Mass more traditional.

Latin sounds beautiful and all, but I’ve noticed it makes people feel left out because they can’t understand what’s going on. I personally felt this way when I first started attending Mass at the Newman Center at my college because they typically performed Eucharistic prayers in Latin. Knowing the words of what’s happening during the Eucharist brings great comfort to me. I’ve noticed some others who come by our Newman Center to visit feeling the same way. I know the Latin better now, so I no longer feel left out, but it still doesn’t bring me as much comfort as hearing those prayers in a language I can understand.

Now, for more traditional–more artwork, more traditional music, more incense–yes please! More of all of this type of stuff in the Mass, just keep it English/whatever language you speak 😂 Those are just my thoughts!
 
I wouldn’t mind if it were mostly in English, but I feel the Eucharistic prayer should be kept in Latin. That’s what we have missalettes for.
 
My own thoughts on the matter are that a language you don’t fully understand makes your mind and ears work a little harder. Nothing wrong with that once in a while.
 
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