The Novus Ordo and the Interior Life

We’ve all been to our fair share of banal, cringe, or even disrespectful Novus Ordo Masses. As a priest who celebrates the Novus Ordo, I can see how easy it is in the New Rite to fall into those traps. It is evermore necessary, then, for a priest who celebrates the Novus Ordo to cultivate a rich interior life of union with Christ because this is the only antidote to the myriad of temptations to trivialize the liturgy.

This temptation does not exist in the TLM. By the very structure of the liturgy, it is nearly impossible to celebrate it irreverently. Of course, every priest should live in intimacy with God, but even a priest who doesn’t pray much can still celebrate the TLM in an objectively reverent way. The Latin Mass is structured in such a way as to eliminate the temptation for a priest to insert his personality, his ego, and his weaknesses into the liturgy.

Of course, this is not foolproof. St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his Dignity and Duties of the Priest, states that a priest commits a mortal sin if he celebrates Mass in less than 15 minutes, which was apparently a problem in his day with hastily-mumbled Low Masses. I am a bit amazed that such a rapid Mass is even possible!    

But the temptations of the Novus Ordo are much stronger. For example, with the multitude of Eucharistic Prayers, the temptation is to choose the bland and lightning-quick Eucharistic Prayer II, which is finished in a trice—for those who want to “just get it over with.” Another danger is that terrifying phrase “in these or similar words,” which is an invitation for a priest to say whatever comes to mind, no matter if it is theologically accurate or pastorally sound. The way in which the words are almost always scripted to be said aloud provides a temptation to eliminate silence entirely, as celebrants wonder if people can handle a minute without some sort of auditory stimulation. 

Finally, the manner of celebrating most Novus Ordo Masses versus populum provides a particular temptation to see oneself as the precise center of worship, rather than our Eucharistic Lord. There have certainly been times when celebrating Mass that the thought from the Evil One has struck me, “What did the people think about [how I said the Eucharistic prayer, how I preached, whether I appeared warm and friendly enough, etc.]?”

I do not mean to critique the Novus Ordo itself but only to point out that a priest’s rich interior life is the only force strong enough to resist these temptations which seem endemic to the way the Novus Ordo was written. So, what particular elements of a priest’s interior life are critical to celebrating the Novus Ordo reverently and well?

First, he must understand the Mass as the eternal sacrifice of Christ to the Father. The Mass is not just another “worship service” that is focused on us offering anything to God. Primarily, it is the work of Christ, as the priest makes present in an unbloody manner the once and forever Sacrifice of Calvary. This means that, by ourselves, we cannot add anything to the Sacrifice—but God, in His mercy, allows us to offer ourselves in union with Christ. 

This takes a huge burden off the priest. It is Christ who acts, meaning that we don’t have to worry about making the Sacrifice pleasing to God because of our own merits; and the full, conscious, and active participation of the entire congregation is primarily an interior participation as we unite our lives to Christ’s sacrifice, thereby taking the burden off of us to make a “dynamic worship experience.”

Second, a priest must cultivate humility and obedience. With so many options in the Novus Ordo, it can be easy to forget that many things are not given to us as choices. For example, “Good Morning” is not a choice in the liturgy. Nor is it necessary, or even allowed, to give an introduction to the Creed. A priest must have the obedient humility to stay within the bounds of what is actually allowed in the Novus Ordo and not go beyond those limits. He should have a burning desire to disappear beneath the vestments, that Christ alone may be revealed.

Third, a priest must remain focused on the Liturgy and the Lord, not on the people. Celebrating versus populum means that I can see everything that occurs out in the congregation—the squirming baby I wish the mother would take to the cry room; the teenager who isn’t dressed appropriately; the family that came late; the person reading the bulletin rather than listening to the readings. It takes a laser-like focus to avoid these distractions and stay attentive to the task at hand, which requires almost constant interior prayer.

Fourth, the priest must be filled with awe and fear of the Lord. Speaking in my native tongue and celebrating Mass in a church built in the 1980s has a way of draining the mystery out of the Sacred Mysteries. Thus, a priest must cultivate a deep feeling of awe and reverence, knowing that even angels tremble in the Lord’s presence. Despite the friendly and familiar externals, a priest must have a visceral knowledge that he is standing in the presence of Almighty God at the very threshold of Heaven.

Finally, a priest must cultivate his own faith in the Real Presence. Observing the casual way in which many of the congregants treat the Eucharistic Lord should spur a priest to greater fervor and vigilance regarding the Lord’s Real Presence. As familiarity can breed contempt, a priest must guard against the temptation to treat Him as ordinary bread or take for granted the awesome mystery that we are blessed to handle every day. 

In summary, I believe that the Novus Ordo can be celebrated reverently, with great love and respect for our Eucharistic Lord, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. But to do so requires a rich interior life of a priest, lest the temptations of the Mass strip him of the august dignity in which he participates, when offering the once and eternal Sacrifice of the Son to the Father!