Is it just me, or is there really an increasing number of priests who are getting innovative with the Mass? The Mass that I knew as a child was formulaic, and if you are at least a weekly churchgoer, you can memorize the responses; for some parts, even the priest’s lines. There’s even a set formula for the homily: refer to the first reading, then to the second reading if there’s one, then to the Gospel, and explain what’s the common message in all these three. The priest sometimes injects standard, tried-and-tested jokes to ease the boredom but that’s it. You don’t remember any other antics of the priest, just the message and how well it was delivered.
But nowadays you see priests on hoverboards, or singing during the homily (the first time I heard Msgr. Mejia sing during the homily, I admit I was scandalized: could he really do that???), or, just this morning, reading a poem during the homily. His own poem. And then there are priests who liberally injects adlibs in the required lines, sometimes confusing the congregation (“The mass is ended, go in peace serving the Lord IN LOVE THAT IS SELFISH…” – he did say SELFISH, although his voice was drowned out by the choir leader who already answered “Thanks be to God” upon hearing the supposed to be last word “Lord”.)