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PDF versionLiturgy as theater
Going to Mass should be an awesome, sacred drama
Dec. 11, 2009
The cast of the Christmas play “An Angel for the King” prays before rehearsal at St. John the Baptist Parish in Larksville, Pa., in 2006. (Courtesy of the Times Leader/Charlotte Bartizek)
Growing up in the 1960s, I worshiped at two parishes. Both were Roman Catholic. However, the celebration of Mass was very different as I went back and forth from summers in metropolitan Virginia to school in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The basics of pre- and post-Vatican II liturgical celebrations were identical. Nevertheless, at one parish I often found myself daydreaming, planning the upcoming week’s calendar. The celebrant’s voice was monotone; his liturgical presence was lifeless; it was as if a vampire had drained every ounce of his blood. Hymns were the same selections over and over again, performed in a musical key not even the youngest Vienna choirboy could reach.
In contrast, whenever I attended Mass at the other parish, my mind, heart and soul became thoroughly engaged in the sacrifice of the Mass. The choir was vibrant and it inspired me (not being blessed with the gift of musical pitch) to sing every hymn. The pastor’s homilies explained and applied the meaning of the scriptures as if he understood our lives. I saw him at the altar not just as a priest but as Jesus celebrating the Last Supper with us. He even took the time to greet everyone as we left Mass. I would leave church thinking, “Wow! I wish I could be that excited about what I do each day.”
I didn’t realize it then, but my Virginia experience of Mass was sowing and watering the seeds of my vocation. It also would become my inspiration, as a priest, to write and direct a new Passion play every Lent.
My father, an entertainer and musical therapist, loved history and theater. He and my mother instilled in my brother and me the necessity of faith and worship as well as an appreciation for history and a passion for the arts. From my father, I came to realize that effective theater is effective liturgy.
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Religion as theater has its origins in ancient Egypt. The first known theatrical performance was what we today would call a “Passion play.” Egyptian plays detailed the events of their gods. Ancient Greece expanded this blend of theater and the sacred to include other mythological characters.
Aristotle, writing in the fourth century B.C., believed that theater evolved from the practice of singing hymns to the god Dionysus. These hymns celebrated the dying and rising of this god, as well as that of every human being. Further plays included dialogue/singing between actors and audience. This was the early prototype for dialogue/singing between celebrant and congregation in liturgy.
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The Greeks also gave us the blueprint of theater/church architecture that included “stadium” seating in the round. The ancient Romans expanded this blueprint by incorporating statues, columns, porticos, roofs and a fixed orchestral/choir space.
During medieval times, priests would perform short plays in Latin in their churches. Scripture stories were dramatized to familiarize an uneducated public with the Bible.
In England, wagons became moveable stages for short plays that would enact events from Creation to Judgment Day. This inspired the theater genres known as miracle plays, which presented the lives of saints and martyrs, and morality plays, which taught spiritual lessons. Later, the Italian theater popularized a new genre with sung dialogue. Known as opera, it reflected the influence and popularity of Gregorian chant.
A scene from the Passion play “Fallen Angels” at St. John the Baptist Parish in 2005 (Courtesy of the Times Leader/Fred Adams)In the 19th century, theater became more experimental in nature, with a growing emphasis on realism. This trend continued into the 20th century, when theater in the United States evolved into one of its most popular forms, the musical. Musicals gave us the style and composition of songs that have influenced many modern-day hymns.
I can still feel the excitement I had in 2000 while waiting in the rain outside the German theater to see the Oberammergau Passion play, the world-famous outdoor pageant that has been performed regularly in that town since 1634. Its grand style was the impetus for me to transform my “living Stations of the Cross” plays into Passion plays. I also recall the joy of attending the new musical version of “Lord of the Rings” this past year, an event that inspired me to write another Passion play, called “Fallen Angels.”
This leads to the question: Would people stand in the rain to attend Mass? Does the celebration of the Eucharist inspire and challenge us to transform ourselves the way effective theater does? When was the last time you left Mass deeply moved and eager to return again? Do we find joy in the proclamation of the word and in song?
The Eucharist is, of course, an awesome sacred drama that goes beyond even the most superb theater production. It connects us to the creative wonder of God’s immense, mysterious love, which unconditionally allowed his son to become one of us, to suffer, die and rise for us and in us. The Mass invites us onto the eternal stage where no curtain or bad seat distances us or veils our sight.
Effective liturgy planning and presentation make the inherently powerful reality of the Mass accessible. Just as excellent theater is the collaborative effort of a team that combines skill and talent to deliver a powerful performance, effective liturgy is the result of a similar effort. Therefore, theater has much to offer those who strive for excellent liturgy:
- Suspended time: Good theater asks us to put away our watches, stop texting, turn off our cell phones and give the stage our full attention. But an assembly’s attention span lasts only so long. What can happen for people spiritually once they become bored, confrontational, eager to exit the church? Even if Mass is over quickly, has it moved people? Has it nourished them?
- The flow of the action: Good playwriting has a mantra -- action/reaction. Every liturgical action should elicit a corresponding reaction from the congregation. Are our processions and gestures actions that inspire the reaction of gathering and prayer? Is there a natural flow and structure to the Mass and a solemnity that is allowed to build without being interrupted? Do assemblies enter the sacred mysteries, feel the movement from Word to Eucharist, offertory, consecration, Communion and sending forth? Or is the spell continually broken? Have our liturgical celebrations become embellished with special ceremonies (such as May crownings, ministry installations, seasonal blessings)? Have fundraisers and financial concerns overtaken the homily? Has reverence been lost to casual, even folksy familiarity? Do celebrants and other ministers read the script without breathing life into it, letting Mass become so liturgically “stuck” that the deep humanness of our desire to celebrate the divine is lost?
- Place: Upon entering a theater, we immediately know where the stage is. How do art and environment contribute this sense of orientation to the liturgy? Is the focus on the altar, tabernacle, baptismal font, paschal candle and ambo? Are there too many symbols? Is the sanctuary crowded with decorations that distract or inhibit freedom of movement? Do we display and use the Lectionary and Book of the Gospels properly? Are vessels, altar appointments and vestments clean, presentable and the proper liturgical color?
In addition, does the interior of our church building provide prayerful, tranquil space? Like a good overture, is instrumental music, live or recorded, used to enhance the meditative experience before the celebration? Are there liturgical “traffic jams” during the distribution of the Eucharist? Are ushers or greeters prepared to direct congregational traffic?
Good liturgy will also reflect the six elements for good theater that Aristotle presents in his Poetics:
1) Plot: Every play has a beginning, middle and end. Do our liturgical celebrations reflect that there is an introductory rite, Liturgy of the Word, and Liturgy of the Eucharist? Is the theme of the Mass or special feast announced? Are our prayers of the faithful a meditative prelude for the setting of the eucharistic table? Are silent pauses properly observed -- especially after Communion? Are there entrance, offertory and dismissal processions?
2) Character: Directors and actors need to study the script. An accomplished actor becomes the character he or she plays.
Have the celebrant, deacon and lectors done their homework by preparing and meditating upon the readings, the homily and prayers? Does the celebrant pray together with all ministers before celebrating Mass? Everyone who leads the liturgical celebration must become what they represent and proclaim.
3) Idea: We get the play’s message across when script, props, costumes, sound, scenery and lighting work in sync with each other.
Are servers, ministers, lectors, cantors, choir, greeters, ushers and celebrant in sync -- all on the same page? Many a liturgy is lost because the sound system is ineffective. How can the message go forth if it is not heard? Does the interior lighting enhance each part of the Mass, or is the sanctuary one continuous blur of light? Is the sanctuary visible, or is it in need of elevation? Visible elements should cue the assembly to the liturgical purpose, season and theme.
4) Language, spoken and unspoken: A theater marquee announces what will occur inside, and its message entices people to enter.
Before a word is said, the church’s exterior should proclaim: “Welcome.” Is it manicured and clean? Is the liturgical season evident in color (buntings, banners and plants) or in symbols (cross, crèche)? Once people are inside, does the “Welcome” continue in the warm smiles and reassuring words of greeters, of those providing bulletins and directions? Room temperature is also a way to welcome people into a comfortable space.
The most significant message is conveyed in the attitudes, actions, gestures and prayerfulness of the celebrant and other ministers. Proper eye contact, voice clarity, emphasis, diction, pace and pause are a must for all who proclaim the word. No director would allow an actor to muffle his lines; if we do, we miss conveying the beauty that the scriptures and prayers contain.
5) Music: In theater, singing and instrumentation should enhance and never detract from the story.
Liturgy involves choreography, practice, and coordination to ensure that this key ministry is entrusted to trained and capable hands. Yes, every voice is beautiful for God, but not every voice is suited to the task. The importance of being suited to the task is also true when it comes to liturgical dance.
6) Spectacle: Theatrical spectacle dazzles our senses.
Spectacle in church can dazzle our souls. Special spectacles include Holy Week services, especially the reading of the Passion narrative by several gender-appropriate voices; Passion plays; living Stations of the Cross; Seder meals; Christmas plays; and other displays. Yet in its truest form, effective spectacle is never showy or gaudy. It combines the elements of theater and liturgy with dramatic intensity.
The results of applying these principles are the test of either effective theater or worship.
Do we experience a beautiful taste in our souls, an exquisite, peaceful courage in our hearts and a dreamlike stimulation in our minds? Are we enthusiastic about returning for more? Are we eager to unite with Christ, who is present and active as the source of our Christian lives?
Theater stimulates our imaginations to want to live and die with the characters. In essence, liturgy -- with its basic moments of gathering, welcoming, proclaiming the Word and celebrating the Eucharist -- invites us to use our imaginations, our hearts and our souls so that we experience what it means to live, die and rise with Christ. The paschal mystery is the ultimate theater experience.
Fr. Gerald Gurka is a priest and pastor in the Scranton, Pa., diocese. He also is a playwright and director of seasonal liturgical plays at his parish. This article first appeared in the October issue of Celebration, NCR’s sister publication.
While there are some common
While there are some common characteristics between liturgy and theater, comparing the two is a poor analogy, since the purpose, outcome and result of each are not related or similar in any way and it dumbs-down the result of celebrating liturgy . The outcome, benefit or result of theater is nothing more than entertainment and artistic value. The result or outcome of liturgy is that the work of our redemption is accomplished. Our salvation is made present and active here and now. (Comparing this with leaving a theater entertained is just silly). It can also be dangerous making theater analogies with liturgy since in a theater setting those gathered are there to watch, while in liturgy there should be no sense of being a spectator but rather a full, active, conscious participator.
Liturgist --- You seem to
Liturgist --- You seem to have missed the point of the article --- I'm sure I wouldn't attend your service a second time
I agree with much of what is
I agree with much of what is said here. Granted I am a TLM attendee but I can sympathize with this viewpoint. I think that each mass we go to should defnitely do it's best to demonstrate that this is where heaven and earth are meeting.
"my mind, heart and soul became thoroughly engaged in the sacrifice of the Mass. The choir was vibrant and it inspired me (not being blessed with the gift of musical pitch) to sing every hymn. The pastor’s homilies explained and applied the meaning of the scriptures as if he understood our lives. I saw him at the altar not just as a priest but as Jesus celebrating the Last Supper with us."
The above is my favorite quote.
At the same time I believe that the priests and any laity who help our (i.e. choir) ought to ensure that there is a sense of the sacred at mass. Too often I walk into churches where there are loud conversations going on or even distractions on the altar during mass. Nevertheless, though I am sure the one who wrote this article would have several disagreements with me, I can sympathize with much of whati s written here.
An excellent article. A
An excellent article. A liturgy professor once posed the question: "Why do people return to liturgy each week?" He implied that liturgy often was so poorly celebrated that he wondered what it was that called them back, and if better prepared and celebrated liturgies would bring more back to the fold.
In my experience there are two groups of people that hold our liturgies hostage. Many priests do not know the difference between a homily and a retreat. They seem to have a priestly right to speak at length on any topic they choose, and to impose their private agendas and pietistic devotions. All of a sudden we have black vestments at funerals, and a “father knows best” attitude at homily time.
Musicians often treat the liturgy at a concert, and choose music that is pitched too high. Some musicians plan music that fits their personal taste rather than teaching and preparing music that is in the mainstream of Catholic worship.
It would be a great surprise to priests and musicians to hear honest comments and criticisms from the people they serve. Musicians can receive comments from other music ministers and parishioners because the nature of musical collaboration and ensemble encourages this type of dialogue. However, the homily is a liturgical “sacred cow” and rarely evaluated. How many liturgy committees have the courage to give “father” an honest critique of his homiletic efforts?
Musicians often treat the
Musicians often treat the liturgy at a concert, and choose music that is pitched too high. Some musicians plan music that fits their personal taste rather than teaching and preparing music that is in the mainstream of Catholic worship.
Liturgical musicians often seem to be a better target for bashing than public school teachers.
If they put on something worth hearing and actually possible to sing to and failing that to enjoy hearing, they get accused of putting on a "performance."
Would you rather hear something that sounds like junk, with a bunch of wrong notes, loss of tempo, etc?
Well, if they do that, then people complain about it as well.
Personally, I'd much rather hear somebody really working at and doing it well than a combination of an untuned guitar, warbling soprano, and a flute which the player hasn't really practiced at since leaving high school band ten years ago.
Of COURSE it's a "concert" or a "performance" or whatever else you deride it as. That's what musicians do. They perform. For other people and in this case for the Almighty. And by the way, leading a "community sing" is an art, one which isn't necessarily easily acquired, if ever, by the average musician.
Liturgical musicians bring what they have often when nobody else will. They spend a lot of time practicing, they have to show up on time, every time. They
get asked to do incredible things on short notice, and often do.
I wonder how many of these "critics" have ever gotten up and done anything in front of an audience of 100 or 200 or 600. I'd wager very few. I wonder how
many have given the verse of a song and had 150 folks roar back the chorus
to them. It's pretty daunting at first, and if you're not a "performer,"
you'll probably run for the exits or just stop entirely. Eventually it becomes
fun.
As for pitch, many a lead singer doesn't have a choice. First and foremost, THEY have to be able to hit all the notes in the composition, from the top to the bottom. Sorry if you can't sing along. Odds are half the people next to you can, and the remainder of your half can't. Narrow vocal ranges are a fact of human anatomy. Maybe learn to sing harmony. Most male liturgical musicians are
young, and thus many are tenors. With limited vocal training. So they're just not going to be able to hit the low notes if they bring it down to your baritone range.
As to choice of material, it's a pretty big catalog and even if there is a song which sets to music today's Epistle, the musician may not have the time to learn it well enough to carry it off without embarassment. They usually have a "day job" you know. Learning a new piece of music is done in hours, not minutes.
So give your liturgical musicians a break.
Support them by singing with them when you can, and by smiling at them when
you can't.
Appreciate the work they do, putting themselves out there, week after week.
And yes, give them to lattitude to have a little fun. It's called "playing"
music for a reason, you know. If they don't get to enjoy it, then they'll
just stop working so hard for little or (most often) no pay.
And have some fun with it yourself.
Do you want to know why the
Do you want to know why the priest should be ad orientem and not versus populum? Here is a bright shining example!! First the liturgy is not banal entertainment it is worshiping the living God. The priest and the various extra-ordinary ministers are not actors to be the center of the drama but what they do should bring us to is the center, Jesus Christ's sacrifice to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I better preface the second point by stating the priest and all extra-ordinary ministers should be well prepared. But again its not how well the priest does his duties in the sanctuary but what he does in the sanctuary that is most important. Who cares if he can't carry a tune. Who cares if he is monotone in his presentation.
The haughty cattiness of the article is disgustingly shallow. Just because someone quotes Aristotle does not add to any depth, since Aristotle was not a Christian or an elder brother of the Jewish faith. Nor moving through the history of banal theater, proves one an intellectual regarding the liturgy.
If one examines the "innovations" brought into Jewish worship in the Old Testament, God repeatedly warned them through the prophets not to do such a thing. When they did not listen, He showed them the exit to the promised land in the Babylonian exile. The theaterized Mass demeans Christ's sacrifice and emasculates the ministerial priesthood. Instead of being a father we are to become a minstrel.
Perhaps it is time to move the presider's chair from sanctuary center to the side and replace the egotistical priest with the tabernacle, to have the Catholic faith preached at the homily instead of subjecting parishioners to the priest's bloviated opinions, and to turn the priest ad orientem so he no longer needs to clown around while he is at the altar.
Oh for those who will do their usual ad hominem attacks my parishioners like; the homilies; the reverent liturgy; and the fulfillment they receive when we worship instead of entertain. Vatican Council II was wonderful but the fruits of the cultural revolution of the 60s, 70s and early 80s is dreadful. Thank God for the reform of the reform, hopefully prior to being exiled like Israel was for Her innovative worship.
With all due respect for your
With all due respect for your concern about the trivialization of the Eucharistic celebration, it has always been my understanding that the Mass is the representation of the Last Supper. We are called to the sacred banquet in order to participate in those graces than enable us to "Put on Christ". Therefore it seems imperative to me that this weekly gathering of the majority of the faithful in each parish sense a connection between themselves and the sacred ministers, beginning with the priest. The proclamation of the sacred readings should be heard and understood beginning with the skill of the speaker. The homily should uncover the shared compassion of the speaker with the reality of daily life experienced by those in the pews. The prayers of the faithful should relate to the events, public and private that preoccupy us each day. When the music is a vehicle for lifting the soul in the pew and not a performance by the choir, we find the parish has invested judiciously in its directors. This is what I mean by CONNECTION and justified "theater". It exists, although hard to find. Sadly is seems to be under attack by misguided post Vatican II defamers.
There was nothing dreadful
There was nothing dreadful about the liturgies of the 1970s and 1980s. They were more spiritually enriching than anything I experienced before or since. They were participatory, joyful and filled with the presence of our ever present Holy One. Today's liturgies are boring and lacking any sense of community. The homilies are usually dull and heaven forbid there be anything preached of the special life that was Jesus' and his glorious teaching of love and caring for those less privileged. We hear some of this at this holy time of year but it is forgotten for the next eleven months. The readings of the Third Sunday of Advent should be required readings at least once a month throughout the liturgical year. Then, perhaps the Roman Catholic Church will again become a church of Hope, Love and Charity.
"Haughty Cattiness"? All of
"Haughty Cattiness"? All of the members of the church, including Fr. Holland have been blessed with talents and insights which, when they are generously shared, can bring us closer to God. I welcome his ideas - and I can see how they could bring about a more conscientious and joyful celebration of the mass. Inspiration has it's place in spirituality and most of us human Christians are desperate for it in this world. Keep it in perspective, these are ideas, not arguments or threats.
Everything you want is there
Everything you want is there at the Tridentine Latin Mass of 1962. It is transcedent, dramatic, mysterious, and timeless. It is much better when it is a High Mass with a schola. The Low Mass is awful quiet. Perhaps a good compromise in the upcoming years. Use the Novus Ordo for Low Mass times and break out the TLM High Mass for Feasts and Solemnities.
I've joked with friends
I've joked with friends before that the offertory is like the intermission.
Some of this article is quite true, but even with the best theatre, eventually the crowds stop coming and the production has to fold. Dramaturgy can only take the liturgy so far, and ultimately good liturgy for adults must never hinge on personality. As a teacher, I try at times to be entertaining, but I know that if I and not the subject matter engages my students' interest, I have ultimately failed.
It's also important to realize that unlike theatre, in the mass there is really, "Nothing to see here." Christ is veiled from our sight at every point, whether in the appearance of bread and wine, the priest's acting in his persona (the Latin word for "mask"), or the deacon's reading with his own voice and language Christ's words in the Gospel. We must be looking with eyes of faith during the liturgy, and appeals to other senses must keep in mind that they are simply means to that end. Moreover, liturgy is truly work (work for the people); it should never be entertainment. Our sacrifice must also be logike latreia--rational worship (Romans 12:1) and emotion must never play a larger role than thought in our worship.
Finally, knock off the liturgical dance nonsense. It's an abuse plain an simple. There's no place for that idiocy in the holy mass. If you see it, report it to your local bishop. If he doesn't do anything, contact this fellow from as many different return addresses as necessary:
His Eminence
Antonio Card. Cañizares Llovera
Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship
and Discipline of the Sacraments
Palazzo delle Congregazioni
P.zza Pio XII
00120 VATICAN CITY
I am a staunch supporter of a
I am a staunch supporter of a relevant, Vatican II Church that invites, challenges and includes all of the people of God as it celebrates. But Liturgy is NOT a production, theatrical or otherwise. Too often I feel as if I am attending a Broadway event that is every bit as non-participatory and merely attended by most people as the Tridentine rite.
Dancing for the Lord and for
Dancing for the Lord and for God is legitimate, It obeys the Bible, and God asks us to dance too in worship (Psalms, Scripture). There is a time to dance as well as to stay still. Telling people to run off a complaint to the "Mass Police" is abhorrant and divisive.
God made us to be physical too, to have the gifts of song, music and dance, Olympic athletes, ordinary physically fit people, dancers all have gifts to share with God and the world. We must not dismiss these gifts too as they are as valid as music, speaking and thinking. They too are a form of prayer.
The mass is holy too when all people and all gifts, which are also written about in the Bible too, are welcomed and not stopped, forbidden, reported to "Liturgical Police" like the parishioner, deacon or priest is a criminal for having people use their talents and gifts from God.
The Mass is THE theatre. It
The Mass is THE theatre. It is no Broadway show or even Shakespeare production. It is the most profound and intimate encounter with the physical reality of our salvation. The Mass should never lower itself to our insecurities through pseudotherapeutic sermons, ad-libbed prayers, or cliches. Instead, we find the strength and answers to our human frailty within the holy liturgy as celebrated strictly according to the rubrics of the Church. We are loved not because we get "love bombed" when entering the church but because we partake of the physical reality of Calvary at every Mass. The narcissism of "being on the altar" or "productions" detracts from the awe and humility of being before this sacrifice.
We rise to the Mass. May it never bow to us.
Whether with a full-court
Whether with a full-court orchestra and choir, whether celebrated in a quiet place early in the morning, or the family mass at a huge parish, the liturgy is theater that stems from theology of the incarnation. This is an excellent article and deserves even more reflection and development. There is a reason that Inter Mirifica (Decree on Social Communications) and Sacrosanctum Concilium (Sacred Constitution on the Liturgy) were released within hours of the other, and why these were the first two documents released by Vatican II. Unfortunately, hardly anyone recalls or thinks about Inter Mirfica (followed by the more developed document Communio et progressio in 1971) reflecting a kind of over all lack of integration of the documents, their themes, and teachings as well. Thank you for contributing this piece, especially during Advent.
Great theater is not simply
Great theater is not simply entertainment. Great theater moves me to tears. It challenges me to face "the human condition" in ways that I might like to avoid. It holds up a mirror in which I can see both my failings and my hopes. I think the challenge for those who would celebrate liturgy well is to immerse themselves in more than banal entertainment. Literature, poetry, art, and theater nourishes the soul. Liturgy is not simply good theater, but I agree it can teach skills for good liturgy.
I attended several Masses at
I attended several Masses at the Cathedral in Ciudad Jurez this weekend, DEO GRATIAS, and there was one priest in particular, I believe he may be Padre Juan Herrera, for whom the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not theatre with all of its pomp and fake, but the best opportunity to make real the Living Presence of Jesus amongst us in Love and in Peace (this all sounds so much better in Spanish, for some reason and is embarrassing to me to read out there in English, but that's just me, or the result of being so often beaten down by other comments here, as if Peace and Love and universal community is not the essence of our Faith in Jesus Christ). This is not Theatre, this is real, and very needed everywhere, and even in this which is called "the most violent city in the world."
His inviting us to read the collect along with him (this week: "Look, O Lord, at your people who wait with Faith the birth of your son . . .)is a minor point, and one which focuses us upon this important prayer the priest "normally" reads alone with no one listening. And to say the "By Christ, With Him, and In Him, TO you God Almighty . . ." with him, as one. And he waited for us.
At the beginning of Mass (after explaining the Pink robes) he has us turn to the person at our side, and repeat words of God's Love one to the other, and a commitment to one another to build the Reign of God now in nonviolence and mutual support and prayers - as if this too were a Mass with the Reverend Father John Dear SJ presiding.
He preaches peace, in the midst of the violence, and thus works to bring Peace. This is real; this is the Mass; this is the opportune moment for bringing the Real Presence of Peace into this world.
This is the building of the community of Love, and of Justice, here and now.
It is not Theatre.
We have seen theater.
Save the drama for your mama.
Theater was born in the liturgy, in the miracle plays.
This is not theatre.
This is the Real Presence of Love with one another, which it is our duty to make Real, and our joy, and our blessing.
The Second Reading concludes: "And may the Peace of God, which we cannot comprehend, hold our hearts and our thoughts in Jesus Christ."
The Gospel begins with the commandment of Saint John the Baptist (always the patron of our little desert hermitage here): "Who has two coats must give one to who has none, and whoever has food must do the same."
This is Real.
This makes Real amongst us the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.
It is not theatre. This is not clowns. This is not empty bear hugs.
This is following Jesus Christ in truth, in peace, in love. Really.
Amen.
frère charles du désert OSB OBLAT (Congrégation de Subiaco)
Thank GOD! Can not agree
Thank GOD! Can not agree more. I am sure Fr. Gerald Gurka is well intentioned, however I believe he is a perfect example of "what went wrong" after Vatican II. Notice I didn't say Vatican II itself - it has been the actions of priests, "experts", laity, etc. who think like Fr. Gerald Gurka that the mass is about emotion that has turned so many masses into Mel Brooks productions.
What's deeply troubling, and I think you say it well, is the "shallowness" of the points trying to be made.
As someone who grew up in the "post-VII" church, and Jesuit educated, I am very very angry with those who disregarded the true intentions of Vatican II and ran off to turn the Mass into a circus. Very angry.
Honestly, inside of me, during a non-Extraordinary mass, I literally experience pain and anger. In the eye of my heart and soul, I see Christ Crucified behind the "altar table" and what I see going on in front of Him, usually stacked three deep, a chorus, readers wearing low cut tops, etc. ... I can not describe the disgust and anger that wells up from deep within.
None of that pain, disgust or anger ever occurs when I attend an Extraordinary mass. Never.
Thank you Fr. Holland for posting.
HCS Knight
I enjoyed this article and I
I enjoyed this article and I fully concur that Theater can enrich Liturgy. My local pastor and some others responding to this article would not agree. It seems silly that a minister dressed in a special costume, on a raised special stage, with lighting, chorus support, using elements from a script developed from the Church’s experience could claim that the Theater has no place in Liturgy. Before Quem Quaeritis and after the Church has been inspired by the Holy Spirit to use those gifts that would quicken Worship. Maybe Theater is one of those gifts.
The churches I attended
The churches I attended growing up had a lot of theatre and music arts. Both contemporary and traditional music services helped me learn to sing harmony.
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