Are There Private Liturgies?

In a couple of posts in Social Media the other day, there were some comments about Priests celebrating "Private" Masses with a select group of people during this time of crisis, where all Parish liturgies have been suspended in the Archdiocese of Singapore. This post is not meant to be a critique of anyone who may have the idea that Masses are private, I assure you that it is not. Personally, I don't think I'd be aware of such things today if I hadn't had the privilege of being taught by my former Parish Priest. I do, however, hope to raise awareness, by means of this musing, of the right way of worship, something which is perhaps understood in a very weak way by all of us Laity.

The very idea that our Liturgies, be it the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Mass, should be called private, is already amiss in itself. The liturgy is not private, nor is it exclusive.

In SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM, under the General Principles for the Restoration and Promotion of Sacred Liturgy, it is written:

"Christ indeed always associates the Church with Himself in this great work wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the Eternal Father.

Rightly, then, the liturgy is considered as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. In the liturgy the sanctification of the man is signified by signs perceptible to the senses, and is effected in a way which corresponds with each of these signs; in the liturgy, the whole public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and His members."

It's clear that the Church intends that the very nature of any Liturgy is communal, public. It is the Corporate act of worship for us as Christians and is never meant to be exclusive. The highest form of worship for us as Catholics is a communal prayer, where all of us, Baptised, are invited to the great feast of the Lord's supper. In this, we do what we cannot do at home or in our own private prayers, to enter into the Mystery of Christ as a community, taking part in his passion, death and resurrection. The Liturgy is not about us. The Mass is not about us. All Masses are about the celebration of the Paschal Mystery as a community of believers. 

Some may ask then; "what about School Masses? What about Masses at OYP during retreats? What about Masses for the Youth Communities in the Parishes?" In all these instances, the Mass celebrated for the small community may be for a specific group of people. However, it's important to know that the Mass does not belong to them, and therefore, it is not private. It is still the Church's liturgy, God's Liturgy being celebrated. Even if the Mass is celebrated for us as a small group of believers, the focus is not on us. It's for this reason that even though the Homily may be tailored to cater to the group, the Mass, even if for a specific group of believers, is not a place for us to simply do as we wish. We still need to follow the Liturgical Laws, the rules of the GIRM still apply. It also is not a place for a personal show, even if for a specific group of people. 

This is the same for all Masses. A Wedding Mass for instance, is certainly not about the couple getting married. It's a celebration of the union between Husband and Wife, in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. It's because they have made a conscious choice to witness to God, to be a Sacrament (Sign) to his love in the world through the Sacrament of Matrimony, that rightly, it should be celebrated with the highest form of worship, the great celebration of the Paschal Mystery.  It is not a place for the couple to make it a show about themselves, of how they met, and even of how God may have brought them together, if it takes the focus away from the Mystery of Christ being celebrated. That can be left for the reception or for the wedding luncheon/dinner. The wedding Mass is not a private celebration. It is still the celebration of the Church. In fact, weddings can be celebrated within the Sunday Eucharist as well. However, this is not an agenda to push for all couples to celebrate their weddings within the Sunday Mass. 

Similarly, a Funeral Mass is not about the person lying in the casket. It is a celebration of the deceased's life with Christ, a celebration of his/her baptism. Therefore, as a celebration of the life of a Baptised, it is right that we gather to celebrate it with the great celebration of the Lord's Passion, Death and Ressurection. In fact, the Funeral Liturgy, when celebrated well, can also bring comfort and hope to those who are grieving the loss of their loved one. Perhaps I should write a separate musing on this. Nevertheless, the Funeral Mass also does not belong to the deceased, or to the family of the deceased. It may be celebrated for them, but the Liturgy still belongs to the Church. It is not private. 

I'm quite sure that this musing is going to unruffle the feathers of many. I assure you, dear reader, that this is not an attempt to criticise or condemn anyone. Nor is this an attempt to be a Liturgical terrorist, with no thought of charity towards others and their pastoral needs. The liturgy can be modified to suit the pastoral needs of people, provided that it does not remove our attention from the mystery of Christ. We can give couples and grieving families a say in the hymns and readings for the wedding/funeral Mass, provided that proper guidance is given so that nothing inappropriate takes place. Whatever can be done to be pastoral to the people of God should be done, as long as we do not cross the line and abuse the Liturgy, making it a personal show. Like I said, our liturgies are never private.

The concept of it not being about us is something that is difficult to comprehend and to put into action. And make no mistake about it, I too struggle with not making it about me. And I think we will all struggle with this concept until the day the last nail is nailed on our coffins. However, St. Paul in his letters invites us, and challenges us to try to grow perfect, and while it is difficult, this is the call for all of us. The very act of trying to rid ourselves of our ego, and trying to grow perfect in our union with God is the call of all baptised Christians. 

In the meantime, with the suspension of Public Liturgies within the Archdiocese, it does not mean that our Priests should stop celebrating the Mass with small groups, be it their Parish Staff, full-time volunteers, or even among their religious communities. Priests are still encouraged to celebrate the Eucharist daily, and these Masses can, and should still be celebrated, and offered for us, for our medical professionals, and for the world. And as far as possible, these Masses should not be celebrated by the priest himself, especially since the nature of the Mass is communal. However, we must remember that even though at this time, it's not practical to open the doors of the small chapels or oratories to all our Catholics, these celebrations are not private. It is still the great celebration of God's Liturgy. And as much as I myself am saddened that we are unable to receive the Eucharist, the great sacrament of the Lord's love physically, I think it's great that there are others who are able to do so. Instead of being upset at these "privileged few", perhaps we could ask them to remember us as they celebrate the Mass. And we can still remain connected by receiving him spiritually, and by celebrating the next highest form of prayer, the great Liturgy of the Hours.