Reverence at Mass

For anyone who has ever been to a Latin Mass, most will quickly notice how much reverence is given not only by the Priests, Deacons and servers, but also the laity. Now I must also say that there are many Masses even in the Norvus Ordo (aka: English Masses) that are also very reverent, and that is such a breath of fresh air to see in a world that has been so lost in the secularization of everything. Yet at the same time there are unfortunately a majority of Norvus Ordo Masses that have fallen into Liturgical Abuses. Having the Holy Mass said in ways and forms that have in the end caused people to view the Mass as a form of entertainment, over something holy and spiritual. Because of these abuses, many have become lost in what is the appropriate practices in the Mass? What is the right way of decorum when you are standing before Christ in the tabernacle?

Let's go through the Mass step by step:

1. When you arrive at Mass you must remember that you are truly in the presence of Almighty God. Present with you are all the choirs of Angels in Heaven along with all the Saint and our loved ones who have gone before us. In His present as it is said, "Every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." Therefore if you are in the presence of Almighty God, you must act accordingly, for you are in the presence of the King of Kings! Clothing should be proper, and modest. No bare shoulders, short skirts, low-cut dresses or jeans. No tennis shoes, sandals or flip flops. I don't know who ever came up with the phrase, "Well if Jesus wore sandals, then so can I." I don't think so. Jesus lived in a time in which sandals were the only appropriate form for footwear… Now we have such thing as formal shoes and dress-ware and therefore we should honor our Lord by dressing in our "Sunday best"! It's a shame when even our Protestant brothers & sisters are dressing better than us for church.
2. Whenever we enter into the sanctuary we must genuflect to our Lord in the tabernacle. Again, "Every knee shall bend, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." It breaks my heart whenever I see someone bowing to the altar and completely turning their back to the tabernacle. Especially when in some churches the Tabernacle is placed in the back of a church. Which according to canon law, "The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is to be situated in some part of the church or oratory which is distinguished, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer." We should not be putting Our Lord in the back of the Church, He should always be front and center. Whenever we pass by the tabernacle in the church we must always genuflect/bow to Our Lord who is fully present there. And if He is exposed for Benediction, a double genuflection is most appropriate! (A double genuflection is when you go down on both knees and bow to Our Lord.) Yet of course if you are unable to due to medical complications, that is okay.
3. Music in the Church should always be reverent and not distracting during the Holy Mass. The use of trumpets, guitars, and drums does not maintain the sacred silence and peace during Mass. Gentle hymns and light piano or organ music is good for keeping the mind in harmony with the sacredness of the Mass and helps to maintain constant prayer and reverence during even the consecration. There should also never be any clapping during the Mass. This can also be another form of distraction.
4. During the "Our Father" we have become accustomed to holding hands in America. I don't know who ever started this practice, but since the time it started, it has become more of a distraction than an uplifting spiritual union of people praying together, and to me seems to have more Protestant roots than Catholic. The same goes for the sign of peace, which in the Latin Mass is only exchanged between the clergy. This suddenly can also become a distraction during Mass, as for some it even turns into a social event in the midst of the Consecration. Instead, when engaging in the sign of peace in the Norvus Ordo Mass, maintain your composer to give one the sign of peace without giving into stretching over the pews to shake someones hand, or hollering across the church to a dear friend. I would also venture to say that giving the “peace sign” to someone sitting far away is not appropriate either for during Mass.
5. In the Latin Mass, the reception of Holy Communion is done on the tongue while kneeling. As it has been made aware to those of us, none of the laity should touch Our Lord since our hands are not consecrated, only the Priest's hands are. Therefore it is more reverent to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist on the tongue, rather than in the hand. Our hands are unclean, and at times have caused us to sin… Therefore we should not allow our hands to touch our most pure and Holy Lord. Even the Priest who is guilty of sin as well, goes through a series of cleansing prayers and even washes his hands to make himself worthy enough to touch Our Lord during the consecration. We must also make note that the use of Extraordinary Ministers is only for the purpose of times when there aren't enough Priests or Deacons to distribute Holy Communion. Otherwise EME's are not necessary at every Mass.
6. After the reception of Holy Communion, we have often become accustomed to making the sign of the cross as we walk back to our pew. This is a practice that, as reverent as it is, is not actually necessary. When we receive Our Lord in the Eucharist we are receiving the greatest blessing we could ever receive. Therefore, the act of blessing ourselves again is not required. Rather it is more important to walk back to our pews as individual tabernacles of Our Lord. Our hands should be folded in prayer and not at our side or folded over our chests. Our eyes need to be focused in prayer, and not wandering around to see what others are doing around us. And when we arrive back in our pews be must make a proper act of thanksgiving to Our Lord
7. Towards the end of Mass we should not leave until the priest has left. It was often reminded to me that those who leave after communion are only repeating what Judas did at the Last Supper. And most of all at the end of Mass, there should be no clapping. The Mass is not a show… It’s the greatest form of prayer that could ever be said.

If you were unaware of these reverent practices before, don't worry. But now you know. And don't think, "Well these are practices are only for those who attend the Latin.” One of the purposes of Pope Benedict’s Motto Proprio, Summarium Pontificum, was to allow Ordinary Form Roman Rite to learn from the Extraordinary Rite and adopt certain practices of reverence, and prayer that were at one time before Vatican II, common place in every Catholic Church. It is important to often look at these rubrics practiced in the Latin Mass and also question why they are no longer practiced in the Norvus Ordo Masses. You might be surprised to learn that the reasons for the change aren’t found in the documents of Vatican II.

God love you all! Pray the Rosary daily!