When Liturgy is Comprimised

 Ever since the start of the Pandemic, even when we were allowed to resume the celebration of the Liturgy in the parishes, the Liturgy has never been the same. I can't remember the last time we were allowed to sing during the Liturgy, which is rather sad because music plays an important role in drawing us into the Mystery of Christ. The restrictions on having music in the Liturgy is also meant to keep all religious services as short as possible, so as to prevent further risks of cross contamination. 

Of course, I'm not complaining about this. As much as here in Singapore, we have been able to bring the pandemic under some form of tentative control, the pandemic is far from over. The last thing we need at this point, especially with the sacred days of the Easter Tridumn around the corner, would be for a cluster to form in one of our parishes, which would lead to further implications for the entire Archdiocese. 

However, as much as the safety regulations from the authorities inevitably place some restrictions on the way the Liturgy is celebrated today, in this time of pandemic, that does not give us the liberty to make further compromises to the Liturgy, even if it's in the interest of keeping the Mass as short as possible. The Liturgy does not belong to us, and we are not free to remove what is essential. Doing so would not only compromise the dignity of the celebration, but it could also remove our attention away from the Mystery of Christ, which is what we come to Church to celebrate. 

Let me cite some examples. In more than a few of parishes, the periods of silence in the Liturgy have been done away with. This is especially so during the Liturgy of the Word, where the instructions call for sacred silence to be observed in between the readings, and after the homily. The reason behind this is for us to recollect ourselves, and to briefly meditate on the Word of God which we have received. 

Unfortunately, it seems as though the importance of silence in the Liturgy has not be emphasised on. Many of us have hardly a moment to take in what we have received, before it's already time to continue with the rest of the celebration. Isn't this a hinderance to making the Mass as prayerful as it ought to be? Does Mass really need to end in half an hour? 

Another example would be on how some parishes choose to omit the Gospel Acclamation, and simply ask the congregation to rise for the Gospel. As much as the rubrics does allow for the Acclamation to be omitted if not sung, I can't help but wonder if the purpose of the Acclamation hasn't been catechised to us, such that we see it as a non-essential.  

The purpose of the Gospel Acclamation is to introduce to us the proclamation of the words of Christ, who is present in the Word. It introduces us to the message that Christ will address to us, his Church, and to the deeds of Christ. As much as the rubrics allow for this to be omitted if not sung, would it really be a safety concern if we were to recite it? 

And in fact, even in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, many presiders have chosen to remove the essentials in the interest of keeping the Mass as short as possible. For instance, some presiders choose to combine the prayer over the bread and the wine at the offertory. Some presiders also skip over the prayers which they are supposed to pray silently for their own sanctification. Some even omit the ritual of the Lavabo, and use the hand sanitiser instead. 

As much as I can appreciate the effort to keep the Mass as short as possible for the safety of the flock of Christ, I can't help but wonder if we really think that some of the rituals and prayers in the Liturgy are non-essential. Do our priests think that certain rituals (even those meant to be prayed silently) are not necessary for their own sanctification, to celebrate the Mass in a worthy manner? Or do our lay people who are involved with the Liturgy think that they can be above what Mother Church instructs us to do? 

The beauty of the Liturgy is found in it's timelessness and it's consistency. As much as the Liturgy can never be destroyed just because a few people think that they can be above it, we should be making every effort to ensure that it is celebrated in the manner in which the Church intends for it to be celebrated. It does not belong to us, and it is not about us, and if we think that it is, we have missed the point of what it means to be part of the Body of Christ. 

When the Liturgy is celebrated well, even with the safety restrictions in place, it leads us, the flock of Christ, into the prayer of Christ. It aids us to pray, and to bring to the Lord the things that are more important than ourselves. As much as we ought to follow all restrictions put in place for our safety (and we should!), that does mean that we should compromise the dignity of the Liturgy.