A phalanx of ushers should surround her and contain the blight that she represents. Failing that, she should be tickled in the ribs from behind. Then she should be sent for re-training in RCIA. The Mass is about participation! We must be up, down, up, down, say this, say that, say this, say that, now itâs time to sing again, HERE COMES THE VOLUME HERE COMES THE VOLUME WATCH OUT NOW HERE COMES THE VOLUME, then there is something else to say.
What always bothers me about this topic is the way Latin is presumed to be the fault leading to a supposedly erroneous practice. It is almost certainly the case that the prayer practices and prayerfulness of now-dead Catholics are being simplified as a kind of scape-goat argument. âBack then, in the dark ages prior to the enlightened 1960s,â runs the argument, âpeople were left out. The priest had his back to the people, ignoring them. The people were expected to shut up. They didnât know any Latin, and had no idea what was going on. So they clutched their rosaries. Now we have had a revolution, and the priest faces us and weâre one big happy family! We âparticipateâ now. Rosaries are just for little old ladies who canât change fast enough.â
Actually, the truth is otherwise. People knew the Scriptures quite well for centuries. Throughout the âmiddle agesâ for example, despite the âobstacle of Latinâ, Catholics would often cite the Scriptures in their daily lives. It is Novus Ordo Catholics who have trouble understanding the Mass, as statistics clearly demonstrate massive rejection of Church teachings and the truth of the Real Presence. âParticipationâ, much vaunted in the wake of the V.II, is actually in steep decline, with precious few confessions, and only about 25% of Catholics showing up for Mass.
Who has the true faith? The Novus Ordo Catholic who rejects most of what the Church teaches, or the little old lady with her Rosary.