Many people assert that the Second Vatican Council did away with many things, especially in regards to the Liturgy. This is simply not true. The Second Vatican Council decreed many good things about the Liturgy.

From the document Sacrosanctum Concilium:

17. In seminaries and houses of religious, clerics shall be given a liturgical formation in their spiritual life. For this they will need proper direction, so that they may be able to understand the sacred rites and take part in them wholeheartedly; and they will also need personally to celebrate the sacred mysteries, as well as popular devotions which are imbued with the spirit of the liturgy. In addition they must learn how to observe the liturgical laws, so that life in seminaries and houses of religious may be thoroughly influenced by the spirit of the liturgy.

18. Priests, both secular and religious, who are already working in the Lord’s vineyard are to be helped by every suitable means to understand ever more fully what it is that they are doing when they perform sacred rites; they are to be aided to live the liturgical life and to share it with the faithful entrusted to their care.

19. With zeal and patience, pastors of souls must promote the liturgical instruction of the faithful, and also their active participation in the liturgy both internally and externally, taking into account their age and condition, their way of life, and standard of religious culture. By so doing, pastors will be fulfilling one of the chief duties of a faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God; and in this matter they must lead their flock not only in word but also by example.

Many who follow the rubrics of the Mass are unfairly labeled as pharisees by those who do not follow the rubrics. In my experience, those who ignore the rubrics use the Second Vatican Council as a scapegoat in order to promote their views.

However, upon reading what the documents actually have to say, you will find it is quite clear that the liturgical laws are to be observed. It is clear that Mass and all liturgical aspects of our faith, are to be done reverently and by the book. It is not something to be left to the priest’s discretion.

When many Novus Ordo Masses are said irreverently and by the whim of the presiding priest, we must combat it with all of our strength. The way in which we worship reflects what we believe. If we are reverent in our worship, it reflects the authority of God. If we behave like buffoons, it reflects that we are fools.

Following Christ and His Church is not for the foolish, but rather the wise. To live outside of the Church and the law of Christ is foolish. Therefor, let us follow the liturgical law as it too is the law of Christ.