Christmas Eve Liturgical Reflections

The idea of liturgical norms and liturgical abuse is not exactly new to me, but it is something that I've really began studying and trying to understand better over the last few years. Most of what prompted my interest and study of such has been in defense of the LIFE TEEN program (I am a Core member for the program at my parish), and the changes required for our LIFE TEEN Mass as far as the new GIRM is concerned.

I heard Fr. Larry Richards tell a joke during our parish mission a few years ago - What's the difference between a liturgist and a terrorist? You can negotiate with a terrorist. I sometimes get irritated with discussions of liturgical norms - I'm one that is all for real liturgies that encourage and draw out the full active conscious participation of all worshiping, and the norms layed out by the Church are designed to do just that.

At the same time, I'm well aware that there are some exceptions to the norms, and that's easily illustrated that the Church provides various options for things sometimes - some prayers and responses absolutley must be included for the Mass to be the Mass...but there are some things that are left to the discretion of the celebrant - and in my opinion that's a good thing.

So where am I going with all of this? Well, my family's Christmas tradition is to always go the Christmas Vigil Mass at my parents' parish. One important thing to note is that this Vigil Mass is the children's mass. Now, I say the word's "children's mass," what do you generally think of? Many people will have lists that include a children's choir, the homily directed towards the kids, or involving them in some way, sometimes the prayer forms approved for children's liturgies...and probably, of course, a lot of fidgeting kids (and often a good number of crying babies). You can debate this all you want...but having a Mass designed in this way - especially for Christmas, which is a children's holiday if there ever was one, considering that God came to earth as a child - is a very GOOD thing in my opinion. Especially if it's "advertised" as such, everyone coming to that Mass knows what to expect.

Well, apparently the pastor at my parents' parish didn't know what to expect. Basically, the only thing that made the Mass a "children's liturgy" was the large amount of kids present, and a children's choir. The homily was extremely high-minded, the long forms of every prayer was used, insence was used at the appropriate points during the liturgy...on face, it was a beautiful liturgy. But I hope I don't offend anybody when I say that it was not necessarily appropriate for a children's Mass. I'm not somebody that is all about the "45 minutes and out" style liturgies, nor do I think that the "higher" liturgy parts have no place. It strikes me that this liturgy would have been absolutley gorgeous as a midnight Mass or something - but for a Christmas Vigil Children's Mass...it just didn't work as it could have.

But it's Christmas - long winded rants on liturgical norms and everything can wait a day or two.

Christ the Savior is born! Merry Christmas to all - I hope it was a day filled with peace and hope and celebration with God and your loved ones.