Here are a few practical tips for priests, musicians, sacristans, etc. to improve the quality of parish liturgies.
1. First and foremost, “Say the black, do the red.” This is the most fundamental rule, but it still is widely ignored. The temptation to alter the language is a real problem in vernacular liturgies. Priests, don’t begin Mass with “Good morning.” Don’t paraphrase the dialogues. Is asking for faithfulness to the Missal being too strict or legalistic? I don’t think so. Mass in the Catholic church should be truly catholic, that is conforming to the rubrics and discipline of the universal church.
2. When lighting the altar candles, never use a plastic lighter. Every sacristy should have a candlelighter and tapers. This may sound like a triviality, but remember that everything in the church, and especially in the sanctuary, takes on a special role in the church’s worship. Using a proper candlelighter adds dignity to even the simple act of lighting altar candles. I’ve even seen churches coordinate the lighting and extinguishing of candles with two altar servers on either side of the altar.
3. Reevaluate the use of microphones at Mass. In this day and age we have become too accustomed to over-amplified voices. Unfortunately, this mindset has carried over into churches and now the “liturgical microphone” is perceived as a necessity for every parish. However, many churches are acoustically designed to carry the human voice without amplification. Priests, lectors and the choir may need to practice projecting their voices without microphones, but it can be done. Where microphones are necessary (i.e. churches with too much carpeting, tiles on the ceiling, etc.), they should be used tastefully and sparingly.
4. An amplified solo voice should never soar above the choir or congregation. Cantors or psalmists may use a microphone if absolutely necessary only when chanting verses of a psalm or singing an incipit. Once again, many churches are acoustically designed to carry the singing of the choir and cantor. Don’t use a microphone when its not needed.
5. Reevaluate the use of electric lighting in church. This goes hand in hand with microphones. Edison’s lightbulb was a brilliant invention, but have we gone overboard in our use of artificial lighting? Churches do not need to be awash with bright electric light. Use a lighting scheme that tastefully provides just enough light in the right places.
6. If the church has a high altar, use it! Churches lucky enough to have retained their original altar should use it for its intended purpose. High altars are not glorified flower holders. If removal of the “frontal altar” proves too controversial, at least use the high altar for special occasions. The rubrics of both the ordinary and extraordinary form allow for Mass to be celebrated ad orientem.
7. Learn to sing the core repertoire of the Roman rite. In 1974, Pope Paul VI issued a collection of simple Gregorian chants entitled “Jubilate Deo.” The Pope intended “to make it easier for Christians to achieve unity and spiritual harmony with their brothers and with the living tradition of the past. Hence it is that those who are trying to improve the quality of congregational singing cannot refuse Gregorian chant the place which is due to it.” It will take time and patience to teach the choir and congregation this music, but it can be done.
8. If you sing hymns, sing all the verses. Of course, hymns are not the normative music of the Mass. But they are a licit option at introit, offertory, and communion, and many churches have maintained a gracious custom of singing a hymn at the recession. Hymns are prayers. If you choose to sing hymns at Mass, complete the prayer by singing all the verses whenever possible.
9. Sing the dialogues. In the ordinary form, the dialogues between the priest and the people (i.e. the sign of the Cross, the dialogue before the Gospel, etc.) should be sung above all else, followed by the ordinary then the proper.
