Impressive by Nature not Expressive by Design

Father Driscoll's video of 2012 popped up again on FACEBOOK. That could have been pure chance, but it sort of irked me. Father may not be anyone in terms of authority when it comes to formulating or imposing liturgical precepts, but nolens volens in the video he only makes clearer to me the argument for the urgency to move toward a full liturgical restoration of the Roman Rite. The Catholic News Service seems to want the video to show the liturgy of Paul VI in the very best light and insinuates the existence or opportunity for an ongoing "reform of the reform" scenario. Father Driscoll's use of a dichotomy concerning the object of liturgy as being an impressive or expressive action, however, brings me to urge the "buyer" to settle for no less than the sublime, or if you will, for the original, the Vetus Ordo. Pace Father Driscoll, 

what could or should be organic development of the liturgy has nothing to do with tinkering around by trial and error, hoping to get it right.

As I say, I watched the 2012 video again and sort of latched onto Father's repeated statement that it is not the nature of liturgy to be expressive (of us) but rather to be impressive (on us). It would seem that Father is conceding that post-conciliar liturgy lends itself to the expressive, which, he intimates, is not what liturgy is about. He comes within a hair's breath of breaking a lance in favor of privileging worship ad Orientem. 

He legitimizes the post-conciliar reform using what is termed the "Supreme Legislator" argument, which claims the Pope can do as he deems right and just in liturgical matters. The discretionary powers of the supreme legislator do not, however, go that far. Father's argument does not convince to the extent that it seems to promote the legitimacy of experimentation as a way of being. That cannot be and for the very reason that he admits it as something at odds with the very nature of Divine worship. The expressive model limps on its own, but rendering it a process of trial and error toward better horizons and you seem to be in the wrong no matter how well-intentioned the legislator might have been in blessing your efforts. Father goes on to say that mistakes can be corrected, that we can restore the good from the past. It would almost seem he is conceding that we could or should put back together again what is broken.

I must give it to Father Driscoll that his presentation is totally free of the rancor typical of those opposed to the continuance of the Mass of all ages in the Church. No doubt he is well disposed to the possibility of mutual enrichment as the way forward for the two forms. Nonetheless, his impressive/expressive caricature of the difference of animus of the two forms should move us to seek not adjustments but recovery.

What was done after the council was done with a vengeance and has reaped its meager harvest. Hopefully we have learned something in the process. Thanks be to God, at 68+ I have lived long enough to understand that the expressive model does not impress and contributes significantly to disaffection among ordinary Catholics. If you are younger, like I just read in a nice holiday newspaper review with a zealous 36 year old priest, you might think that the disaffection of the older generation (his parents and near contemporaries) was simply in defiance to authority. He notes and celebrates younger people returning to church of their own free will. In the case of the growing popularity of the Vetus Ordo among young people, I rather suspect that it has more to do with their being impressed by the sublimity of a rite which admits of no tinkering than with any particular authority issues.

Even in the days of my childhood and youth, Christmas brought crowds to Midnight Mass, including family members who otherwise rarely passed the threshold of the temple, except for weddings and funerals. No doubt the culture or social strictures pushed them to come, despite bitterness over something, confusion over some unresolved crisis, or a personal emptiness because of habits of sin. I would like to think that some of those who came at Christmas were indeed impressed, as they certainly had nothing of their own to express. 

Necessity would seem to be the impulse which ultimately frees and enables us to give expression to our understanding of our right relationship to the Creator and Redeemer, born for us and for us given.

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI