Creeping Secularization in the Liturgy

Here is an excerpt on Zenit's report of the Homily of the Holy Father for the Corpus Christi.

"Today there arises the risk of a serpentine secularization even within the Church, which can convert into a formal and empty Eucharistic worship, in celebrations lacking this participation from the heart that is expressed in veneration and respect for the liturgy," he cautioned. According to the Pontiff, "the temptation is always strong to reduce prayer to superficial and hurried moments, letting oneself be carried away by earthly activities and worries." And nevertheless, he added, the Eucharist is "the bread of eternal life of the new world that is given us today in the holy Mass, so that starting now the future world begins in us." "With the Eucharist, therefore, heaven comes down to earth, the tomorrow of God descends into the present and it is as if time remains embraced by divine eternity," the Bishop of Rome explained. (Quote from Zenit.org)

The Holy Father in His Corpus Christi Homily made mention of the creeping secularization even in the way the liturgy is celebrated. I think that the Holy Father’s homily is very timely. In my observation there is a growing minimalism in the way the liturgy is celebrated. During communion time there is the unnecessary hurry and sometimes the priest does not want to use patens to protect the sacred species from falling down , the lack of meditation and the lack of silence. Sometimes some pastors do not even observe the proper vesting. In our country I observe that many priests don’t wear the alb during celebrations. Sometimes they would simply wear the chasubles over their ordinary street clothes. Very seldom do we now see the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. Perhaps this is based on a wrong notion that the Eucharist is something that should be eaten and not to be look at. However, the modern secularists do not realize that the adoration of the Eucharist is an outgrowth of that devotion arising from the consummation of the Sacred Species. It is an expression of gratefulness for the one true sacrifice that Christ offered on Calvary.