See, to me this is
the problem (not aiming this at you directly, but at the sentiment in general); we seem to care too much about what
we prefer, when it’s not about what we prefer; it’s about what
God prefers.
This
sentiment (egalitarian in its nature) has pervaded the Churches across the West, and is perhaps the only conceivable explanation for the sterile catechesis and liturgical abuses so prevalent today. It seems we have thrown God overboard, and are now modeling our style of worship around what
people prefer, what
people can appreciate –
when its not about that. The Mass in the vernacular appears to be at the very heart of this issue, as its very application is
socio-cultural, (i.e. directed solely toward the “the people”). After the 60’s when these liturgical changes took place, many western churches seemed to had lost a great sense of the
mystical. Our faith in the
mysterious and
spiritual aspect of our defining Catholic identity was diminished and instead we turned to the “reliability” of modern conventions applicable to the times and able to suit the dialect of the masses.
The irony is this; in an attempt at making the Mass appear less
mysterious, it allowed it to become driven by peoples
preference, and just like a spoiled child disregards its parents love, so to have many disregarded their faith.
Cardinal Ranjith
explains the issue in brief.
“
The day the Church abandons her universal tongue [Latin] is the day before she returns to the catacombs.”. – Venerable Pope Pius XII
The first problem with this argument is that many of the people who attend the Latin Mass “prefer” the Latin Mass. In fact, they love it and long for it, and if they can’t attend, they pine for it.
In fact, I have yet to meet up with anyone, either in real-life, or on CAF, who attends the Latin Mass
even though they dislike it because they are convinced that it’s what God prefers and they are just being obedient.
The second problem with this argument is the statement, "The Mass in the vernacular appears to be at the very heart of this issue, as its very application is
socio-cultural, (i.e. directed solely toward the “the people”). This isn’t true. This isn’t what the Catholic Church teaches about the OF Mass (which is where we see the vernacular used). If you’re just talking about the physical world, yes, in the OF Mass, the priest faces the people. But the OF Mass, either in Latin or vernacular, is definitely not about the people and our “preferences.” I just skimmed through the section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and I’m not even going to try to summarize the teachings about the Mass, but it’s definitely more than what you are implying.
Do you think that the OF Mass in Latin is more “what God prefers” than the OF Mass in the vernacular?" Honestly, what’s the difference? They are human languages. Latin is not a heavenly language. I work in a microbiology lab, and almost every bacteria has a Latin name. It’s just another language, the “traditional language” of the Church, but not because it is holy, but because it’s the way things happened in history.
The third problem is, IMO, you are assuming that the Latin Mass is “mysterious and spiritual,” while the vernacular Mass is “not mysterious and spiritual.” This is purely subjective. IMO, what you are doing is what the Hollywood stars do–placing the emphasis on mysterious and spiritual “experiences” instead of on Christ and faith.
It is not the trappings of the Mass that are the “mystery” of Christianity, but rather, Christianity itself, and Our Great Founder, Jesus Christ,is the Mystery. Christianity is “mysterious and spiritual” no matter what our surroundings, what kind of music, what kind of language, etc. In fact, in this day and age, it may well be that the simpler Mass will be more effective in leading people to Christ. (In fact, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, said something to this effect at WYD.) There are lots of “mysterious and spiritual” experiences that modern people can participate in, and they have nothing to do with Jesus. We need to be careful to remember that our Masses should provide people with an opportunity to meet Jesus, Truly Present, and receive Him–THAT is the mystery and spirituality.
The fourth problem with this post–and this is a big problem!–is that you are implying that the Church has given us a Mass that is “what we prefer” and that this Mass “isn’t what God prefers”.
Do you really believe that Holy Mother Church “caved” and gave a bunch of whining children what they prefer? Do you really believe that Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, and all the other amazing clergy who are the leaders of the Church would allow the vernacular Mass to continue throughout the world if they know that “God prefers Latin, not vernacular.” Do you really think they let us continue to speak in our own languages while God is unhappy with our offering of praise and worship?
And of course that people that attend the EF, don’t prefer it. They are simply attracted to it. 
