The Hidden Sin of Calling Any Valid Mass “Ugly”

The Hidden Sin of Calling Any Valid Mass Ugly

I have attended both the Novus Ordo and the Tridentine Mass. I genuinely believe the latter is richer in beauty and expression. However, a Mass does not cease to be beautiful simply because another might seem more so. What truly crowns every Mass with beauty is the presence of Christ Himself, in the minister, the people, the readings, and most especially, the Eucharist. To call any valid Mass “ugly” is ultimately to insult Christ, whose presence is the heart of every celebration. Jesus is present; what could possibly be more beautiful than that?

If you had any faith, you would know that Christ’s presence, even in the muddiest environment, brings light. Imagine a small chapel in a prison or a makeshift altar in a field hospital during war. In such places, where despair and neglect seem to reign, the light of Christ still dispels every darkness, at least for those with eyes to see. Nothing in that place remains as it was. The fire and light of God transfigure all they touch. Any objective ugliness is overpowered and made beautiful by the presence of the Lord of Hosts.

God has communed with humanity in many ways, with His Incarnation being the most profound. Jesus did not choose the glory of kingship but the humility of a carpenter and the shame of the Cross. This humility continues in the Mass, where we offer simple gifts of bread and wine that become His Body and Blood. The same pattern of divine humility and glory is found in every sacrament: simple matter, divine power.

Everything associated with Christ becomes beautiful because of who He is. Consider Mary: though a creature in need of redemption, she was raised to a perfection beyond all angels. The presence of Christ in her womb transformed her being. Catholics rightly defend her honor when others dismiss her as a mere vessel, because to belittle what God has sanctified is to misunderstand His way of exalting the lowly.

To claim that a valid Mass, where Christ is born anew upon the altar, is “ugly” is to misunderstand what makes the Mass beautiful. No place where God dwells can be ugly. The beauty of our churches, chalices, and rites flows from the beauty of God Himself. If the source of all beauty descends to our altars, then the true beauty of each Mass flows first and foremost from His presence.

We must, of course, still strive for visible beauty in worship. Not to do so would mean withholding our best from God. But if all we have to offer is simple and poor, He accepts it and makes it whole.

I have also defended the idea of using precious metals during Mass in a post I will share below.

Someone commenting on a facebook post made by a monk about the chalices in their monastery said:

And Jesus did not use a chalice at his Last Passover meal when he instituted Holy Communion. But is was a clay cup used at that time. I wonder what his reaction would be of someone gave him a gold chalice at the time.

— Ernie Carlbom

I responded:

Maybe Christ would’ve accepted a golden chalice the same way He accepted the expensive oil poured on His feet. The point of using gold in worship isn’t showing off, it’s about giving God the best of what we’ve got. We give Him the best songs, the best effort, the best of our hearts, so why not the best materials too?

God Himself commanded gold to be used in worship in the Old Testament. That hasn’t changed. The fact that Christ may have used something simple doesn’t cancel that out. And honestly, we don’t even know what kind of cup He used, the Bible never says it was clay.

What doesn’t make sense is this: people wear gold jewelry to Mass but then argue that the chalice for the Blood of Christ should be made of wood. That’s just crazy. If there’s anything in this world that deserves gold, it’s the vessel that holds His covenant.

Abuses in the Novus Ordo

People often cite abuses in the Novus Ordo, which is problematic because it implies such abuses are exclusive to it. Yet there were also abuses in the Latin Mass at various times in history. The difference is that we now live in an age of smartphones, so such incidents are easier to record and share. Moreover, because the Mass today is in the vernacular, the faithful can recognize when a priest says something he should not, unlike in the past, when most people did not understand Latin and had no way to document what they witnessed.

This does not mean there are no issues inherent in the post-conciliar reforms. There are indeed many “leaks” to plug. But these are typically matters of reception and interpretation, not of the reforms themselves. Every major reform in Church history has seen initial misuse. This is true of almost every council, not only Vatican II.

What the Church needs now is a faithful implementation of the Council’s documents, and continued renewal toward a richer, more authentic expression of the Divine Liturgy. Abuses, however, never invalidate the Mass or make the Eucharist any less Christ. They wound hearts, cause scandal, and must be eradicated. For that purification, we must keep praying.

Conclusion

A person may prefer one form of the Mass or find certain expressions outwardly more beautiful than others. But it is essential never to diminish the excellence of the Mass itself, so long as it is valid. Since Christ descends upon the altar, every Mass is an event of infinite worth and grace. To attach words like “ugly” to it is, at the very least, to tread close to sin.

I personally hope that, in time, the Church—perhaps under Pope Leo XIV—might consider restoring broader access to the Latin Mass for those who desire it. Yet I also trust that such decisions rest in the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Above all, the charity owed to God must be expressed in the reverence we show toward everything set apart for Him: the Mass, the saints, and especially the ordained ministers of His Church, above all the Pope.

God bless.