Gerald wrote a far more quotable quote here than I think he may have realized. In comparing the “bad” parts of the Mass around the turn of the century to the “bad” parts of the commonly found Mass today, he writes:
The backslapping group-hug Mass is popular, no doubt. So is fast food.
That deserves a little thought. Fast food makes you feel all warm-n-fuzzy when you eat it. It gives you a nice rush of energy after you’re done. All this is good, right? Yes, but let’s remember too … fast food tends to be extraordinarily unhealthy if made a regular part of a diet. And that energy rush? Quickly followed by a crash afterwards. This follows as well for the happy-clappy high energy “backslapping” Mass as well – it can “feel” so good while you’re doing it you just don’t realize what you’re missing. As another quote I once read put it, “Mass is meant to raise your spirit, not lift your spirits”. Think about it.
