
   On Palm Sunday at our parish, we were "invited" to take the role of
Jesus in the Passion.  I declined to participate.  Last year at the
liturgy meeting I pointed out how we crucify Christ by our sins, so
therefore it is appropriate that we retain the role of the crowd, but
to no avail.


   As a member of a liturgy committee, I can tell you that the problem
is certain people dominating, who want to try out all kinds of
innovations.  The priests don't seem even to _want_ to make any
decisions of their own in many cases.  I guess it's easier to "try
something new" than it is to refuse to allow it.

   At our parish on Holy Thursday, instead of the priests washing feet
("Who wants to get around people's feet," according to one of our
priests) the congregation was "invited" to come up and help wash one
another's hands.

   The symbolism of this action distressed me, and again I refused to
participate.  I thought that if we were to have to come up with
rubrics for this liturgical action (i.e. "Body of Christ" -- "Amen"
for receiving Communion), that they could be "I am not responsible for
the blood of this man."

   Also for part of the Eucharistic Prayer ("Blessed are You, God of
all creation...") was substituted some text read by a lay couple.  The
priest certainly should not have given this part of the Mass over to
others, and I was so disturbed that I declined to receive Communion
that night (we aren't required to anyway -- I instead offered up
prayers for our priests and parish).


   The quality of the Mass has not changed.  Again, if it were to be
celebrated according to the rubrics set down by the Church, it would
still be "liturgically" beautiful.  The problem comes about from
people trying to be "creative" who are not.

   I think the answer to your question on participation could be that
given by Father Peter Stravinskas in answer to the question posed by
the title of Thomas Day's _Why Catholics Can't Sing_.  "They don't
want to" because of all this nonsense.

   By the way, for any non-Catholics reading this, the problem does
not reflect bad liturgy by the Catholic Church, but by those who are
disobedient to the Church in changing it on their own "authority."