How to challenge the inertia of the "typical four-hymn sandwich"?

I propose the explicit use of the term "Novus Ordo" (or any appropriate term), to designate a kind of "Reform of the Reform" Mass. While Summorum Pontificum opened up the old rite in a way that should influence the new, the door opened for those attached to all things "reform of the reform" to pack up and leave to those parishes offering the old rite. My friends have stopped working to reform the Ordinary Rite and I admit, it is so much easier to flee. In fact, any time we work to "turn back the clock" (their description, not mine), we're kindly told that the old rite is available less than an hour away!

You knew when you were at a Low Mass. I assume it was clear what was needed for a High Mass. As the lack of options in the old rite is absolutely beautiful when compared to what we have now.

So, attaching a series of connotations to the term "Novus Ordo" (or any appropriate term) serves as a tool of measurement. The term serves as a North Star in the same way Low/High/Pontifical means what it means. By the same token, the LifeTeen Mass has to have printed song sheets and the Spanish Mass has to have at least one guitar string per strummer that is OFF and "Pescador de Hombres" once a month. (Plus, the term "Novos-Ordean" has the added benefit of being able to simultaneously call to mind the fact that THIS WAY, is what was truly intended by Vatican II). Having a quasi-official organization like the CMAA draw a line to say, "This is a Novus Ordo Mass*, and this is not" lends weight to

[*ok, so it is technically allowed to deviate, per all the N.O. choices, but we don't, that's not the "Novos-Ordean Way".]

Of course this opens up a can of worms when it comes to defining such limits. But I think going back to the Church documents would easily streamline the litany of options available to just a few we'd be willing to truly blog-troll over on this very forum and ever shall be, page without end.

We distribute glossy "FAQ" cards to explain our way of celebrating and form a registry (like the "Find the nearest Extraordinary Form Mass for you in all fifty states, and abroad!" sites that so proudly list parishes) so we could find safe haven on vacation.

These terms allow us to beg and plead, "Can we have a Mass for our small community? The Spanish and Tagalog speakers have their own, why can't we?" Their objections are currently as such: 1. "You can go to the Extraordinary Mass 45 minutes away." "But we're Novos-Ordeans, not Extraordinarians." 2. "You can go to the Classical Music Hymns Mass in the morning." "Novos-Ordeans chant the propers, they sing beautiful motets instead and the people in the pews can't sing their four-part Ordinary."

We could form our own children's scholas too. Their objections: 1. "But there's already a children's choir that sings with that nice guitar lady." "But they're not learning our Novos-Ordean chants." We could even request time at the high-holy day Masses: "Opening Spanish, Closing English, Communion Novos-Ordean (or any appropriate term) Closing youth choir."

But most importantly, at the Los Angeles Congress, we could request a "Novos-Ordean Mass" after the Jazz Mass. They couldn't say it was the Extraordinary Rite, nor could they say we are crypto-lefebvrians because we are actual outright-Novos-Ordeans. (It almost sounds Cajun, we could go right after their Mass!)

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I can't think of another way to pry the inertia loose. It is an epoxy for which our best tools have been co-opted for the Extraordinary Rite (a great thing, by the way and eventually a cross-pollinator; also long long overdue; also maybe eventually home if there is no more hope in this small community of mine) and for which their best tool is 50 years of gravity and adhesive. We are stuck on this default option.

What would your "Novus-Ordean Mass" have?
1. Chanted priest parts (not sure which ones argue for "minimum status")
2. Benedictine arrangement ("facing away" or "facing towards" is defused with a cross in the middle)
3. CHANTED ORDINARY (Latin?)
4. CHANTED PROPERS (from any of the selected sources!!! Plainchant please!)
5. Vernacular readings and all that stuff (this way our Spanish and Tagalog and etc. languages could participate!)

areas I'd not mention:
- gender of altar servers
- mantillas
- issues of distribution/reception of Communion
- other areas of solemnity
(I assume gravity would eventually take care of these.)

"If the teens who are alive can have their Mass, so can we."


P.S. Last month, I walked into a Vietnamese wedding Mass. Priest chanted in the vernacular. Music chanted in plainchant. Solemnity. I wanted to defect to this Mass. Not sure if the degree of care is typical of the community, or if it was the wedding planning that made it so wonderful.

"Every parish deserves a Novos-Ordo Mass."