Sunday Mass without music / singing

[Tis_Bearself]

Uh…we do not have a “right” to have Mass celebrated “our way”.

The Magisterium sets forth certain rules for the Mass. Beyond that, it’s the prerogative of the individual pastor to decide things like Mass music (or lack thereof) and other accoutrements like church decorations. It might be prudent for Pastor to take the needs and desires of his congregation into account when making these decisions, but as shown on this forum people’s preferences are all over the map and he is not going to be able to please all of the people all of the time.

The smoking example you gave is a public health issue and does not have to do with the free exercise of religion or with the Catholic Church’s authority structure. Music or the lack thereof, performed in a private church, is not a public health issue unless the music is so loud as to violate the local noise ordinances, or unless it contains some damaging frequency that deafens people or sends them to the hospital. You do not have a “right” to a Mass with music, you do not have a “right” to a Mass with a certain kind of music, and you do not have a “right” to a Mass without music. You do not even have a “right” to a Mass; otherwise, people would be able to bring a lawsuit when their local church closed and they had to drive a half hour away to the parish that stayed open, on the grounds that their “right” to a Mass was being unduly burdened.

 

[bjblatz]

I disagree that liturgy means “work of the people”:

“1069 The word “liturgy” originally meant a “public work” or a “service in the name of/on behalf of the people.” In Christian tradition it means the participation of the People of God in “the work of God.” 5 Through the liturgy Christ, our redeemer and high priest, continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church.

1070 In the New Testament the word “liturgy” refers not only to the celebration of divine worship but also to the proclamation of the Gospel and to active charity. 6 In all of these situations it is a question of the service of God and neighbor. In a liturgical celebration the Church is servant in the image of her Lord, the one “leitourgos”; 7 she shares in Christ’s priesthood (worship), which is both prophetic (proclamation) and kingly (service of charity):

The liturgy then is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. It involves the presentation of man’s sanctification under the guise of signs perceptible by the senses and its accomplishment in ways appropriate to each of these signs. In it full public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members. From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree. “

It is primarily a work of God FOR the people. It’s not merely all about the community.

 

[bjblatz]

This whole conversation speaks positively to the unity in worship that existed before the introduction of the (now) Ordinary Form. Every aspect of the old Mass was prescribed so there were few “options”, whereas now everything is optional (except the essentials of course). Sure there were liturgical abuses with the old Mass but that fundamental rigid structure was helpful in my opinion.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Sure there were liturgical abuses with the old Mass but that fundamental rigid structure was helpful in my opinion.

It was helpful in that there was one “option” on the menu, and you could take it or leave it, and if you chose to “leave it” and not attend Mass you were also very clearly told you were committing a mortal sin.

Nowadays there are 500 menu customizations and a whole lot of people who feel they don’t need to show up at all if the choir is off-key or the priest’s homily isn’t on the topic they personally wanted to hear. We have another thread somebody just started basically saying that he shouldn’t have to “tolerate” a Mass he thinks is boring or that has bad music, like the Church has some duty to provide him with the kind of Mass he likes that will entertain and energize him. People are simply spoiled rotten and entitled as all get out. Or else they are looking for excuses to skip Mass and go have fun instead.

 

[Gertabelle]

Nowadays there are 500 menu customizations and a whole lot of people who feel they don’t need to show up at all if the choir is off-key or the priest’s homily isn’t on the topic they personally wanted to hear. We have another thread somebody just started basically saying that he shouldn’t have to “tolerate” a Mass he thinks is boring or that has bad music, like the Church has some duty to provide him with the kind of Mass he likes that will entertain and energize him. People are simply spoiled rotten and entitled as all get out. Or else they are looking for excuses to skip Mass and go have fun instead.

OMG, I couldn’t agree more with this paragraph! 500 likes coming at ya. Preach it, sister!