As this blog always hopes to recognize: there is no cause for despair here. (The point is really that there is never cause for despair - despair is sin {I think}).
Both form and substance are required for a sacrament, but I think it may be a stretch to suggest that the ordinary or extraordinary “Form” of the mass are on the same level of importance or significance as the “form” of a sacrament. To do so gives too much scruple to God’s Grace.
For me, it has made me think about rescinding my Latin mass attendance every week that we travel 20 minutes or so to. The mass is beautiful, reverent, holy, and extremely intentional. The community of people are rich in goodness and grace. The confessional line wraps around the walls during mass. The men are good and masculine. But it seems like there is a hint of vanity in the air.
All of us masculine meaning, able bodied, family rearing men have to look each other in the eye and recognize that we did not have the testicular fortitude to make this beautiful thing happen in our local parish. We fled to the reverence and holiness of this other parish- without the courage to move close and truly be a part of it.
There are some with that courage, but greater still for me, is recognizing the courage of trying to be transformative lay people in one of the Catholic parishes closer to our homes. Many of these may be abysmal irreverent low effort masses. Greater courage for me is the idea of living within the Catholic means of my local community and helping to shape it into a more holy and reverent grace filled place by way of my own contributions and reverence.
That is the goodness that the Pope’s skirmish with the Latin mass has at least brought this foul sinner. Out of all things good and bad, God presents the opportunity for greater good to come. That is our approach towards him from our fallen state.
