The Dangers of Liturgy Shopping

We all love shopping for something — yes, even you fellas! It may be clothes, books, outdoor gear, whatever.

In fact, our culture has gotten to the point where we’ve turned everything into a shopping experience.

Dating apps present you with hundreds of potential significant others, allowing you to filter the results according to your (mostly trivial) tastes. The rise in virtual work has led to “state shopping”: the ability to choose which state you live and work from home in.

Even our holiest act of worship, the liturgy, hasn’t escaped this trend. Many people join parishes and suffer from buyer’s remorse when the priest’s homily consists of little more than throwing a beach ball to the congregation to symbolize how “connected” we all are. They decide to search around for another parish, often discovering the Traditional Latin Mass or Byzantine Divine Liturgy.

It’s a common story these days. But should we be shopping for a liturgy that suits us or stay where we are?

Here are some thoughts to help you decide.

It’s okay to leave your current parish.
If you want to change parishes to grow spiritually and have better options nearby, you shouldn’t feel obliged to stay where the people are irreverent, the homilies are sloppy, and the music is unbecoming.

Beware of looking for something niche or exotic just for the sake of it.
Is your desire to find a new parish motivated by your true spiritual good or simply the allure of something new and different? If it’s the latter, watch out. Even if you find the “ideal” church, chances are you’ll eventually tire of it and start searching for another new place.

Know the difference between what’s inappropriate for the liturgy versus not your style.
It’s tough telling the difference! But just because you don’t vibe with a particular hymn at Mass doesn’t mean it’s bad (although there are some objectively awful hymns).

If you like the Mass in English, that’s fine, but don’t act like it’s the end of the world if some parishes offer it in Latin. The Church allows this, and Latin is still the official language of the Roman Rite.

Respect other people’s preferences.
You’re entitled to your own beliefs, but so are other people. If the Traditional Latin Mass helps you feel closer to God, great! Keep going, but remember that many future saints attend Novus Ordo parishes.

If you’re confused about where to go to Mass, talk to a spiritual director. They can help you sort through your feelings and discern whether changing parishes will be truly beneficial to your spiritual good.