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Liturgy as Entertainment
Catholic Exchange ^ | February 21, 2004 | Russell Shaw

Posted on 02/21/2004 6:33:51 AM PST by Desdemona

Liturgy as Entertainment

2/21/04

Beware of people who say that they know nothing about opera — or poetry or painting or whatever other form of artistic expression is in question — but they do know what they like. No doubt they do. But ignorance of the genre itself makes it all too probable that what they happen to like isn't terribly good.

Something like that also may apply to certain fairly common responses to the liturgy. How often has one heard it said that the speaker "doesn't get much out of Mass" as if the Mass were to blame for that? If someone doesn't get much out of the Mass, though, one reason may be that he or she doesn't put a lot in.

I suspect that quite a few Catholics come to church more or less looking to be entertained. That is a mistake. The Catholic liturgy isn't meant to be entertaining. And where it is entertaining to any notable degree, that fact in itself may be a symptom of something rather badly out of kilter.

Like people who don't know much about art, but know what they like — and settle for mediocrity as a result — those who approach the public worship of the Church expecting entertainment have only themselves to blame if in the end the very best they get is exactly that — entertainment.

In An American Conversion (Crossroad Publishing, 2003), an account of his coming-over to Rome from having been a Southern Baptist, Crisis magazine editor and publisher Deal Hudson admits to an occasional hankering for the "full-throated hymn-singing" of a Baptist congregation. But he cautions against confusing the "adrenalin of religious enthusiasm" with authentic witnessing to faith.

"The worst thing the Catholic Church could do is give the Mass away to those who want to 'jazz it up' by stealing our silence," Hudson writes. "At least a lackluster liturgy keeps us from the heresy of emotivism, that is, identifying our feeling states with our beliefs."

This is not a plea for liturgical incompetence — bad music, bad homilies, a general air of sloppiness and indifference. These things are abuses just as much as the most egregious liturgical bells and whistles, like celebrants who parade in the aisles at the handshake of peace, lectors who use the readings to emote, cantors who think they're onstage at the Met, and perfect strangers who want to hold hands with you at the Our Father.

But in all cases, nevertheless, the crucial fact is that the value of the Mass doesn't depend on externals. The central action is the action of Christ. Obviously it's preferable that what celebrant and lector and cantor and congregation do be done with dignity and style, but it takes nothing away from the action of Christ if it's not.

In a recent apostolic letter marking the 40th anniversary of Vatican Council II's constitution on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Pope John Paul II made the important point that "the experience of silence" needs fostering as an integral part of community worship. "In a society that lives at an increasingly frenetic pace, often deafened by noise and confused by the ephemeral, it is vital to rediscover the value of silence," John Paul remarked.

It goes without saying that the public worship of the Church can't consist exclusively of silence and nothing else. Catholics are not Quakers, after all. But neither are they religious emotivists gratifying themselves by putting on a show. The point the pope was making should be taken altogether seriously by those who plan, conduct, and participate in our liturgies.

Russell Shaw is a freelance writer from Washington, D.C. You can email him at RShaw10290@aol.com.


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; General Discusssion; History; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Prayer; Religion & Culture; Theology; Worship
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1 posted on 02/21/2004 6:33:51 AM PST by Desdemona
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To: Catholicguy; ninenot; BlackElk; ArrogantBustard; CAtholic Family Association; american colleen; ...
One of our favorite topics.

ping
2 posted on 02/21/2004 6:35:17 AM PST by Desdemona (Kempis' Imitation of Christ online! http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/imitation/imitation.html)
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To: Desdemona; american colleen; sinkspur; Lady In Blue; Salvation; CAtholic Family Association; ...
Catholics are not Quakers, after all. But neither are they religious emotivists gratifying themselves by putting on a show.

Not far from where I live, is one of the original communities founded by the Shakers. Their very name "shakers" derives from the method of worship they used. It wouldn't surprise me if some liberal-minded liturgist doesn't try to introduce "shaking" into the mass.

Great post!

3 posted on 02/21/2004 7:24:49 AM PST by NYer (Ad Jesum per Mariam)
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To: Desdemona
Crisis magazine editor and publisher Deal Hudson admits to an occasional hankering for the "full-throated hymn-singing" of a Baptist congregation.

I have a hankering for some good old-fashioned Chant. Not likely that I'll find it in a Catholic Mass in these parts, though.

4 posted on 02/21/2004 7:30:55 AM PST by B Knotts (Deport Arnold!)
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To: Desdemona
"In a society that lives at an increasingly frenetic pace, often deafened by noise and confused by the ephemeral, it is vital to rediscover the value of silence," John Paul remarked.

Hey liturgusts, knock off the ephemeral "innovations"

5 posted on 02/21/2004 7:34:31 AM PST by NeoCaveman (New and improved is typically neither!)
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To: Desdemona
We have a choir director who does think that his music at Mass IS entertainment. Lots of facial expression, interjections of his own words in introducing songs, even joking. I didn't hear it, but last week, when the lector got up to introduce the celebrant, ask visitors to stop by the guest book, etc. -- he said, "Here comes Mother Superior."

Our priest did not hear it; neither did I, because we were both in the vestibule.

How can I approach this with our priest and liturgy committee (on which this guy carries a lot of weight)?

This choir director has already sent five families and their money packing for a more reverent Mass.

Help requested.
6 posted on 02/21/2004 7:44:44 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: B Knotts
Have you ever visited Mount Angel? The Benedictines there are beautiful with the Gregorian chant.
7 posted on 02/21/2004 7:46:41 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Salvation
Have you ever visited Mount Angel?

No. I've been a little leery of that place ever since reading Goodbye, Good Men. :-)

8 posted on 02/21/2004 7:49:14 AM PST by B Knotts (Deport Arnold!)
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To: B Knotts
At one time there was a REALLY good Catholic choir singing up in the Portland area--IIRC they were un-officially 'banned' from Catholic churches and as a result they disbanded.

The name of the group was Cantores in Ecclesia, directed by Dean Applegate. Maybe he's still around someplace--a Yahoo or Google may help.

If you can locate him up there, you may get a couple of leads...
9 posted on 02/21/2004 9:09:23 AM PST by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: Desdemona; B-Chan
Russ Shaw is a good man--FIRED by the USCC a few years ago.

This goes directly to the "Christian Rock" discussion. Pinging
10 posted on 02/21/2004 9:10:45 AM PST by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: B Knotts
Go to the abbey, spray the pew with Lysol, wipe, and sit down.

Leave immediately after the Mass.
11 posted on 02/21/2004 9:12:23 AM PST by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: ninenot
"At one time there was a REALLY good Catholic choir singing up in the Portland area--IIRC they were un-officially 'banned' from Catholic churches and as a result they disbanded."

Thanks to the liberals backed by Bernardin's boy (the archbishop) the regular weekly Novus Ordo Latin Solemn Mass is no longer held at St.Patrick's.
A few of the gutsier padres, who love the church, still have the Cantores sing at their Masses from time to time.
Their schedule and background info is found at

www.cantoresinecclesia.org
12 posted on 02/21/2004 9:30:14 AM PST by rogator
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To: NYer
Combine the Shaker and Quaker worship....

Shake 'N Quake®

13 posted on 02/21/2004 9:35:44 AM PST by drstevej (Just for Fun)
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To: Desdemona
"At least a lackluster liturgy keeps us from the heresy of emotivism, that is, identifying our feeling states with our beliefs."

In the Liturgy of the Holy Sacrifice we are invited by Christ to offer ourselves entirely to the Father in union with Him. A very difficult thing for a human to do. Giving ourselves over to another, or even the Other, with our hearts - the center of our being.

Sentimentality can mask all this. So that we feel holy, while hand in hand with such emotions our hearts sternly refuse the sacrifice of ourselves to God.

Entertainment is so much easier.

14 posted on 02/21/2004 10:41:02 AM PST by TotusTuus
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To: rogator
Do you know why the Archbishop and liberals would do this? I can't understand; this was a Novus Ordo Mass. Is their hatred of all things traditional so strong that they can't even handle the new Mass in Latin?

Never mind; I just answered that question myself... :-(

15 posted on 02/21/2004 9:47:27 PM PST by B Knotts (Deport Arnold!)
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To: B Knotts
Visit their website (www.cantoresinecclesia.org) and go to a Mass at Holy Rosary or somewhere else where they are visiting if you get the chance. I have met several of these fine folks who have worked very hard to give honor to the Lord by preserving the Gregorian Chant and other sacred music as Vatican II directed.


16 posted on 02/21/2004 10:01:57 PM PST by rogator
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