"We aren’t just a bunch of unconnected people in line at Panera, waiting to get our individual orders of bread."We aren't meant to be, but the change to being handed the Eucharist is susceptible to just such an association.
The usual answer to that observation is that this was not the intended effect of that change. A related issue came up back at a meeting of the Peter Favre Forum (think Businessmen's Prayer Breakfast with Bishop Sklba as chaplain). In response to some point that month's speaker had made, I noted that moving choirs to the front of the church had the effect of making the assembly like their audience. Afterward, a number of attendees who were in their parish choirs came up to assure me that was not what was intended. The underlying assumption seems to be if intentions are good, but results are not, the problem must lie elsewhere.
Unintentinally, the choir-in-front has become the side-show for the priest, too.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a lot of waving, movement, paper-shuffling, and etc. to draw attention, unintentionally.
I suppose it also doesn't count as a distraction if members of the choir sway to the music while singing if the intent was that everyone present would do likewise.
ReplyDeletelittle bit of an oddity. I caught about 30 secs of the Rio opening Mass and what was the focus, in front of the alter was the choir so that if you were on that side assisting you would primarily see the altar...we have turned inward on ourselves, we are the focus...course maybe im just being pessimistic, but really at a Papal mass even?
ReplyDeleteA well-disciplined choir has sway-control, just like a well-built car.
ReplyDelete