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Another way of understanding is that “licit” means “legal” and “valid” means “possible.”
A priest who monkeys around with the rubrics celebrates Mass illicitly, i.e., illegally, against the laws of the Church. A priest who omits the words of the consecration celebrates Mass invalidly, i.e., he doesn’t celebrate Mass at all, because Mass just does require the words of the consecration, and whatever lacks them by definition isn’t Mass.
A priest who monkeys around with the rubrics celebrates Mass illicitly, i.e., illegally, against the laws of the Church. A priest who omits the words of the consecration celebrates Mass invalidly, i.e., he doesn’t celebrate Mass at all, because Mass just does require the words of the consecration, and whatever lacks them by definition isn’t Mass.